Symmetry control of chemical reactions: Applications to the Berry pseudorotation of five-coordinate transition metal complexes

A symmetry analysis of the Berry pseudorotation of trigonal bipyramidal transition metal complexes is presented. Predictions are made regarding which electronic configurations are allowed to undergo pseudorotation and which configurations are symmetry forbidden. A comparison to reported fluxional five-coordinate complexes shows that the predictions are consistent with experimental observations.

Some trigonal bipyramidal transition metal complexes are fluxional while others are not. A group theoretical analysis of the Berry pseudorotation reaction coordinate provides predictions of the dn configurations for which the Berry mechanism is electronically allowed that agree with the available experimental evidence.Figure optionsDownload as PowerPoint slide