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Updated: May 8, 2026

Atomic Scale Structural Studies of Macromolecular Assemblies by Solid-state Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy
Published on: September 17, 2017
Intramolecular C-C agostic complexes: C-C sigma interactions by another name.
Michel Etienne1, Andrew S Weller
1CNRS, LCC (Laboratoire de Chimie de Coordination), 205, route de Narbonne, BP 44099, F-31077 Toulouse Cedex 4, France. michel.etienne@lcc-toulouse.fr.
This review covers C-C agostic complexes, where a C-C single bond interacts with a metal. These complexes are key to understanding C-C bond activation and developing new catalytic methods for C-C bond formation.
Area of Science:
- Organometallic Chemistry
- Inorganic Chemistry
- Catalysis
Background:
- C-C single bonds are typically considered inert.
- Agostic interactions involve a bond donating electron density to a metal center.
- C-C agostic interactions represent a unique bonding motif.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide a comprehensive review of C-C agostic complexes.
- To discuss the synthesis, characterization, and reactivity of these complexes.
- To highlight their significance in C-C bond activation and catalysis.
Main Methods:
- Review of literature on C-C agostic complexes.
- Discussion of structural, spectroscopic, and computational data.
- Analysis of reactivity patterns and catalytic applications.
Main Results:
- Detailed examples of C-C agostic complexes across s-, d-, and f-block metals.
- Exploration of C-C agostic interactions in metallacyclobutanes.
- Presentation of related agostic interactions (Si-Si, B-C, B-B).
Conclusions:
- C-C agostic complexes offer valuable insights into C-C bond activation.
- These complexes are crucial for developing novel catalytic C-C bond forming reactions.
- Structural and spectroscopic markers aid in identifying C-C agostic interactions.
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