Low-valent alkaline-earth metals in all-metal dinuclear metallocenes M2(η5-E5)2 (M = Be, Mg, Ca; E = Sb, Bi)

A series of all-metal dinuclear alkaline-earth metallocenes, M2(η5-E5)2 (M = Be, Mg, Ca; E = Sb, Bi), have been calculated by the density functional theory (DFT). Natural Bonding Orbital (NBO) analysis indicates that the metal–metal bonds of the title compounds are all single bonds with each metal in its +1 oxidation state, and the bonding between the metal and the all-metal ligand is mainly ionic. For both M2(η5-Sb5)2 and M2(η5-Bi5)2, the metal–ligand bonds are very strong and the lighter alkaline-earth metal has stronger metal–ligand bonding. By comparing the dissociation energies of metal–metal bond and metal–ligand bond for each M2(η5-E5)2, the single metal–metal bond is much weaker than the metal–ligand bond with the same metals. The Mg–Mg bond is the strongest in the M2(η5-Sb5)2 and M2(η5-Bi5)2 species. Nucleus-independent chemical shifts (NICS) values suggest the planar E 5 - exhibits characteristics of aromaticity in these M2(η5-E5)2 species. All the NICS values decrease in the order of Be2(η5-E5)2 > Mg2(η5-E5)2 > Ca2(η5-E5)2 except for the NICS (1.0) values of the M2(η5-Bi5)2 (M = Be, Mg, Ca) species. The absolute values of NICS (0.0), NICS (0.5) and NICS (1.0) for M2(η5-Sb5)2 are larger than those of the corresponding M2(η5-Bi5)2.