TRANSIENT INFRARED-SPECTROSCOPY AS A PROBE OF COORDINATIVELY UNSATURATED METAL-CARBONYLS IN THE GAS-PHASE

Progress in the investigation of coordinatively unsaturated metal carb onyls by transient infrared spectroscopy is reviewed with an emphasis on gas phase studies. Typical current and possible future experimental methodologies are examined. The photophysics of production of coordin atively unsaturated metal carbonyls is discussed. Methods for the meas urement of bond dissociation energies of transient species are reviewe d, and the body of available data for coordinatively unsaturated metal carbonyls in the gas phase is presented. The current level of underst anding of the factors that control the rate constants of ligand-metal carbonyl association reactions is discussed. Potential areas for futur e work are delineated.