Back Bonding in Metal Carbonyls
Back Bonding in metal carbonyls is a type of bonding that occurs between a metal center and a carbonyl ligand. In this type of bonding, electrons are partially transferred from a d-orbital of the metal to anti-bonding molecular orbitals of the carbonyl ligand. This interaction strengthens the metal-carbonyl bond and weakens the C-O bond.
- Carbon monoxide is a strong π-acceptor and a good σ-donor, making it a suitable ligand for back bonding.
- The back bonding in metal carbonyls is a synergistic bonding that involves both sigma donation by the carbonyl and pi-back bonding from the metal.
- The more sigma donation by the carbonyl, the stronger the pi-back bonding interaction.
- The presence of extra electron density in the anti-bonding orbital on carbon monoxide weakens the C-O bond.
- The back bonding in metal carbonyls is reflected in the M-CO bond’s vibrational frequencies and bond lengths.
- IR spectroscopy is an essential diagnostic technique in metal-carbonyl chemistry.
Back Bonding
Back Bonding occurs between atoms where electrons jump from the atomic orbital to the anti-bonding orbital of the acceptor ligand. Back Bonding is also known as π-Back Bonding or Back Donation. It is a type of covalent bonding where electrons from a filled atomic orbital jump to an empty or partially filled atomic orbital.
In this article, we will learn what back Bonding is, its definition, characteristics, and Back Bonding in BF3 and Metal Carbonyls.
Table of Content
- What is Back Bonding?
- Characteristics of Back bonding
- Pi Back bonding
- Back Bonding in BF3
- Back Bonding in Metal Carbonyls
- Back Bonding vs Coordinate Bonding