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Updated: Jan 16, 2026

Synthesis of Zeolites Using the ADOR Assembly-Disassembly-Organization-Reassembly Route
Published on: April 3, 2016
Aromaticity in Ancient Zeise's Salt
Ankur K Guha1, Amlan J Kalita1,2, Mesías Orozco-Ic3
1Advanced Computational Chemistry Centre, Department of Chemistry, Cotton University, Panbazar, Guwahati, Assam 781001, India.
None:
Zeise's salt, K[(C2H4)PtCl3]·H2O, is historically recognized as the first synthesized organometallic compound. Its bonding is commonly described by the Dewar-Chatt-Duncanson model. We analyzed the [(C2H4)PtCl3]- anion using magnetic response calculations, molecular orbital decomposition, and energetic criteria. Out-of-plane orbitals contribute minimally, while several in-plane orbitals generate strong diatropic currents, indicating a dominant σ-aromatic character. Isodesmic reaction calculations show that the formation of the C-Pt-C ring is energetically favorable, further supporting delocalization beyond ring strain. Electron delocalization assessed with the EDDBF method indicates 1.8 |e| delocalized over the C-Pt-C fragment. These results support considering Zeise's salt not only as the first organometallic compound but also as a σ-aromatic metallacycle.
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