Decamethyldizincocene, a Stable Compound of Zn(I) with a Zn-Zn Bond

Abstract
Unlike mercury, which has an extensive +1 oxidation state chemistry, zinc usually adopts the +2 oxidation state. Decamethyldizincocene, Zn 25 -C 5 Me 5 ) 2 , an organometallic compound of Zn(I) formally derived from the dimetallic [Zn–Zn] 2+ unit, has been isolated from the low-temperature (–10°C) reaction of Zn(C 5 Me 5 ) 2 and Zn(C 2 H 5 ) 2 in diethyl ether. X-ray studies show that it contains two eclipsed Zn(η 5 -C 5 Me 5 ) fragments with a Zn–Zn distance (± standard deviation) of 2.305(±3) angstroms, indicative of a metal-metal bonding interaction.