oxobridged

Oxobridged refers to a structural motif in which a single oxygen atom serves as a bridge between two atoms or fragments, forming a μ-oxo linkage. In inorganic and coordination chemistry, an oxobridge typically involves the oxygen bonded to two metal centers (M–O–M), although the exact bonding mode can vary with oxidation states and ligand environment. The term is often used to distinguish this type of bridge from others such as hydroxo or alkoxo bridges.

Oxobridged species are common in dinuclear metal complexes, oxometalates, and oxide materials. Typical examples include μ-oxo dinuclear iron or manganese complexes and dicopper or dimolybdenum cores. The precise bond lengths and angles at the bridge depend on the metals involved and their coordination spheres. The oxobridge enables electronic communication between centers, influencing redox properties, magnetic coupling, and catalytic behavior. Such motifs are frequently probed by crystallography and spectroscopy to understand structure-function relationships in these systems.

Because bridging oxo ligands are often involved in oxidation processes, oxobridged compounds play a role in modeling biological oxidation centers and in the design of catalysts for selective oxidation and water-splitting reactions. The term is sometimes used interchangeably with μ-oxo bridging, though it is important to distinguish oxobridged from other bridging motifs such as μ-hydroxo or μ-alkoxo when describing a specific compound. In literature, identification relies on structural data from X-ray diffraction and supporting spectroscopic evidence.