2004 AIPMT Coordination CompoundsOrganometallic Compounds Easy Question 1 of 2 in Organometallic Compounds

Which of the following does not have a metal-carbon bond :-

A $C_2H_5MgBr$
B $K[Pt(C_2H_4)Cl_3]$
C $Ni(CO)_4$
D $Al(OC_2H_5)_3$

The answer is D.

Solution

An organometallic compound contains at least one direct metal-carbon bond.
$C_2H_5MgBr$ (Grignard reagent): the ethyl group is attached directly to Mg, so there is a Mg–C bond.
$K[Pt(C_2H_4)Cl_3]$ (Zeise's salt): ethylene is bonded to Pt through its $\pi$ electrons, so Pt–C bonding is present.
$Ni(CO)_4$ (nickel tetracarbonyl): each CO is bonded to Ni through carbon, so there are Ni–C bonds.
$Al(OC_2H_5)_3$ (aluminium ethoxide): each ethyl group is attached to oxygen, and oxygen is attached to Al. The linkage is Al–O–C, so there is no direct Al–C bond.
So aluminium ethoxide, $Al(OC_2H_5)_3$, does not have a metal-carbon bond.

Concept Identifying metal-carbon bonds

Organometallic Compounds in past papers

2 questions from this chapter have appeared across 2 exam years.