Chemistry of Metallacyclobutadienes

Metallacyclobutadienes are analogues of cyclobutadienes in which one of the cyclobutadiene CR groups has been formally replaced by a transition-metal fragment. These metallacycles are interesting because they can play an important role in catalysis and can serve as starting materials for the syntheses of organometallic compounds such as metallabenzene, (5)-cyclopentadienyl, and (3)-cyclopropenyl complexes. Unlike cyclobutadienes, metallacyclobutadienes can be significantly more stable. A number of metallacyclobutadienes have now been isolated and thoroughly characterized, especially for those that contain transition metals of groups 5-9. Their properties have also been actively investigated. This article highlights the chemistry of metallacyclobutadienes with reference to their syntheses, reactivity, and structural properties.