Module 3 : Organometallic chemistry of p-block elements
Lecture 1 : Reactions of organometallic compounds
 

Problems:
  1. Sketch the structures of: (a) methyl lithium, (b) trimethyl boron, (c) hexamethyldialuminum, (d) tetramethylsilane, (e) trimethylarsane, and (f) tetraphenylarsonium.

    Solution:

    1. methyl lithium: Li tetrahedron with each face capped by CH3 [see chapter 6]
    2. trimethyl boron: planar triangular array of B and C
    3. hexamethyldialuminum:four terminal CH3 and two CH3 bridges in a diborane-like structure
    4. tetramethylsilane: tetrahedral
    5. trimethylarsane: pyramidal
    6. tetraphenylarsonium: pseudotetrahedral