Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 10, 2026

Synthesis of Nine-atom Deltahedral Zintl Ions of Germanium and their Functionalization with Organic Groups
Published on: February 11, 2012
Synthesis, structure, and density functional theory analysis of a scandium dinitrogen complex,
Selvan Demir1, Sara E Lorenz, Ming Fang
1Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, California 92697-2025, USA.
Abstract:
Investigation of the bis(tetramethylcyclopentadienyl) metallocene chemistry of scandium has revealed that the method involving reduction of trivalent salts with alkali metals used with lanthanides can also be applied to scandium to make a dinitrogen complex of the first member of the transition metal series. ScCl(3) reacts with 2 equiv of KC(5)Me(4)H to form (C(5)Me(4)H)(2)ScCl(THF), 1, which reacts with allylmagnesium chloride to make (C(5)Me(4)H)(2)Sc(eta(3)-C(3)H(5)), 2. Complex 2 reacts with [HNEt(3)][BPh(4)] to yield [(C(5)Me(4)H)(2)Sc][(mu-Ph)BPh(3)], 3, which has just one primary Sc-C(phenyl) contact connecting the tetraphenylborate anion and the metallocene cation. Treatment of 3 with KC(8) in THF under N(2) generates [(C(5)Me(4)H)(2)Sc](2)(mu-eta(2):eta(2)-N(2)), which has a coplanar arrangement of scandium and nitrogen atoms within a square planar array of tetramethylcyclopentadienyl rings. Density functional calculations explain the bonding that results in the 1.239(3) A N-N bond distance in the (N=N)(2-) moiety.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Valence Bond Theory
Crystal Field Theory - Tetrahedral and Square Planar Complexes
Crystal field theory (CFT) is applicable to molecules in geometries other than octahedral. In octahedral complexes, the lobes of the dx2−y2 and dz2 orbitals point directly at the ligands. For tetrahedral complexes, the d orbitals remain in place, but with only four ligands located between the axes. None of the orbitals points directly at the tetrahedral ligands. However, the dx2−y2 and dz2 orbitals (along the Cartesian axes) overlap with the ligands less than the dxy,...
Crystal Field Theory - Octahedral Complexes
To explain the observed behavior of transition metal complexes (such as colors), a model involving electrostatic interactions between the electrons from the ligands and the electrons in the unhybridized d orbitals of the central metal atom has been developed. This electrostatic model is crystal field theory (CFT). It helps to understand, interpret, and predict the colors, magnetic behavior, and some structures of coordination compounds of transition metals.
CFT focuses on...
Molecular Orbital Theory II
Radicals: Electronic Structure and Geometry
Accordingly, the structure of a trivalent radical lies between the geometries of carbocations and carbanions. An sp2-hybridized carbocation is trigonal planar, while an sp3-hybridized carbanion is trigonal pyramidal. Here, the difference in geometry is...
Diazonium Group Substitution with Halogens and Cyanide: Sandmeyer and Schiemann Reactions
![The Synthesis of [Sn10(Si(SiMe3)3)4]2- Using a Metastable Sn(I) Halide Solution Synthesized via a Co-condensation Technique](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcloudfront.jove.com%2FCDNSource%2Fteasers%2F54498.jpg&w=3840&q=50)
