What is the Difference Between Organometallic Compounds and Metal Carbonyls?

Organometallic compounds and metal carbonyls are both coordination complexes containing a metal center. The key difference between them lies in the nature of the ligands bonded to the metal center:

• Organometallic compounds have one or more metal-carbon covalent bonds. These compounds contain covalent bonds between carbon and metal atoms, with some exceptions, such as metal-cyano bonds, which are not considered organometallic bonds. Examples of organometallic compounds include Grignard's reagent, Zeise's salt, and Ferrocene.
• Metal carbonyls are coordination complexes with transition metal atoms bonded to carbon monoxide ligands. These compounds are transition metal complexes of carbon monoxide, containing a metal–carbon bond. The carbonyl (CO) ligand is unsaturated, allowing it to σ-donate to the metal and π-back donate to the CO ligand. Metal carbonyl complexes are usually stabilized by metal centers in low oxidation states.

In summary, while both organometallic compounds and metal carbonyls are coordination complexes with a metal center, the ligands in organometallic compounds are bonded to the metal through a metal-carbon covalent bond, whereas the ligands in metal carbonyls are carbon monoxide molecules bonded to the metal through a metal-carbon bond.

Comparative Table: Organometallic Compounds vs Metal Carbonyls

Here is a table comparing organometallic compounds and metal carbonyls:

Organometallic compounds are complex compounds containing one or more metal-carbon covalent bonds, while metal carbonyls are coordination complexes formed by transition metals and carbon monoxide ligands. The key difference between the two is the type of bonding: organometallic compounds have covalent bonds between carbon and metal atoms, whereas metal carbonyls have a metal center bound to carbon monoxide ligands. Some examples of organometallic compounds include Grignard Reagent, Gilman Reagent, and Dimethylmagnesium, while examples of metal carbonyls include Nickel carbonyl, Iron pentacarbonyl, and Chromium hexacarbonyl. Both types of compounds have various applications in organic synthesis, catalysis, and the production of other chemical products.