Metalocenes
Metalocenes are a class of organometallic compounds characterized by a sandwich-like structure, where a metal atom is bonded between two parallel organic rings. This structure was first described in the 1950s with the discovery of ferrocene, a compound consisting of an iron atom sandwiched between two cyclopentadienyl (Cp) anions. Metalocenes typically feature transition metals, such as iron, cobalt, nickel, or titanium, coordinated between two identical or different cyclopentadienyl or related aromatic ligands.
The most well-known example is ferrocene (dicyclopentadienyliron), which consists of an iron atom bonded to two
Metalocenes can be synthesized through various methods, often involving the reaction of metal salts with cyclopentadienyl
Beyond ferrocene, other metalocenes include cobaltocene (Cp₂Co), nickelocene (Cp₂Ni), and titanocene dichloride (Cp₂TiCl₂). These compounds share