Flipping the Oxidation State Formalism: Charge Distribution in Organometallic Complexes As Reported by Carbon Monoxide

A desktop means of estimating the distribution of charge among the ligands in an organometallic complex is developed. An iron charge state of c(Fe) = +2.0 is chosen as a reference, and by correlation of v(CO) with charge, c(CO), in a set of carbonyl complexes, an equation of charge is generated Application of this equation to the periodic table affords each transition metal a single charge, c(M), thereby flipping the oxidation state formalism. Ensuing investigations of carbonyl/L/X compounds leads to estimates of charge distributions among classes of ligands. Deemed charge distribution via reporters (CDVR), the method provides a means of assessing the stability of ligand combinations about metal centers within seconds and numerically supports common pedagogical intuition.