Transmetalation

Transmetalation (alt. spelling: transmetallation) is a general chemical reaction type in organometallic chemistry describing the exchange of ligands between two metal centers.

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The metal centers need not be the same. The ligands R and R' can be organic or inorganic. The double displacement reaction is conceptually related.

Transmetalation is important in the synthesis of various organometallic compounds. Silver N-heterocyclic carbene complexes are easily formed, and are often used to transfer the carbene ligands to other metals containing labile ligands such as acetonitrile or 1,5-cyclooctadiene.^[1] Where L-H⁺ denotes the ligand precursor:

2 L-H⁺ + Ag₂O → L₂Ag⁺...AgX^- (X = ligand precursor counteranion)

L-Ag...AgX + PdCl₂MeCN₂ → PdL₂Cl₂

This reaction type also appears frequently in the catalytic cycle of various metal catalysed organic reactions such as the Stille reaction and the Negishi coupling.

References

1. ^ Wang, H. M. J., Lin, I. J. B. (1998). "Facile Synthesis of Silver(I)-Carbene Complexes. Useful Carbene Transfer Agents". Organometallics 17 (5): 972-975. doi:10.1021/om9709704.