The Binding and Activation of Carbon Monoxide, Carbon Dioxide, and Nitric Oxide and Their Homogeneously Catalyzed Reactions

Abstract

This chapter discusses the binding and activation of carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and nitric oxide by transition-metal complexes and examines the selected reactions of these molecules, which are catalyzed by metal complexes in solution. These three simple oxides exhibit significantly different coordination chemistries and diverse reactivity patterns when bonded to transition-metal ions. The activation of each, thus poses different problems in the field of homogeneous catalysis. By considering these three simple inorganic oxides together, the chapter compares the similarities and differences apart from examining each independently. Homogeneously catalyzed reactions can be viewed as occurring in a sequence of steps, each of which involves a change in one or more of the following properties of the catalyst metal complex: coordination number, metal-ion oxidation state, and valence-electron count. Of these properties, the metal ion oxidation state seems most susceptible to confusion, especially with ligands, such as nitrosyl, π-bonded allyl, and bridging hydride.