Dihydrogen complexes as prototypes for the coordination chemistry of saturated molecules

Abstract

The binding of a dihydrogen molecule (H(2)) to a transition metal center in an organometallic complex was a major discovery because it changed the way chemists think about the reactivity of molecules with chemically "inert" strong bonds such as H H and C H. Before the seminal finding of side-on bonded H(2) in W(CO)(3)(PR(3))(2)(H(2)), it was generally believed that H(2) could not bind to another atom in stable fashion and would split into two separate H atoms to form a metal dihydride before undergoing chemical reaction. Metal-bound saturated molecules such as H(2), silanes, and alkanes (sigma-complexes) have a chemistry of their own, with surprisingly varied structures, bonding, and dynamics. H(2) complexes are of increased relevance for H(2) production and storage in the hydrogen economy of the future.