VALENCE ELECTRON DISTRIBUTION IN METAL CARBONYL CLUSTERS

The discovery of skeletal numbers has made it possible to analyze a wide range of chemical cluster formulas. Furthermore, it has been possible to determine the number of cluster valence electrons and deduce the possible isomeric structures. Recently, using the skeletal numbers, a method for determining LONE PAIRS of electrons in the main group elements has been found. In this book, the method has been extended to the identification of lone electron pairs in transition metal carbonyl clusters. Finally, a hypothetical model of how the valence electrons are distributed in metal carbonyl clusters has been proposed. The model puts forward the concept the cluster valence electrons [VE] are distributed in the cluster in four layers or shells referred to as K1(metallic linkage center), K2 (the metallic electron lone pairs zone), K3(the ligand linkage domain) and K4(the ligand electron lone pair zone). A shortcut method (referred to as INSPECTION) for determining the values of K1, K2, K3 and K4 has also been developed.