[Zensation]

I read a lot about catalytic metal/ligand complexes in chemistry research papers, but I cannot find much information on a lot of these complexes.

Are these complexes individual bonded together molecules? Or are they a sort of mixture of two compounds that aren't really bonded together but are acting with the support of each other?

For instance I might read about an X-Y complex, where X and Y are two separate compounds. Perhaps X is a metal, and Y is a specific molecule. Both compounds can be found online separate, but never together. When they are referred to as complexes, are they talked about an actual bond, forming a new compound? Or just that in a solution these two, or three, compounds come together and act as a single complex?

[spirochete]

How much chemistry have you taken? Have you taken inorganic chemistry yet? It's a sophomore level course that has general chemistry as a pre-req. Do you know the 18 electron rule?

This is probably a better question to ask in the inorganic chemistry forum. But we need more background about you before we can give you a good answer.

[Zensation]

I figured my question was clear enough.

I've only taken high school chemistry, but am in my Sophmore year of University, planning to major in Organic Chemistry, but currently finishing all of my pre-reqs, so I haven't been able to get into a college chemistry level course yet. On the upside, I have been researching deeply into this field for the past year or so on my spare time. I'm no expert, but a very quick learner.


I don't think the question is better suited for an inorganic chemistry forum. It is also exclusively related to organometallic catalytic complexes. For instance a well researched one is Ru-BINAP in Noyori asymmetric hydrogenation. In this specific example, in many research papers you find mention of this "Ru-BINAP" complex. Chiral R or S BINAP is readily available from comercial sources, and Ru(Ruthenium) is readily available as well. There is constant reference to this "complex". My question is, what is this complex. Is it specific compound that resulted from some reaction between Ru and BINAP? Is it just a well mixed mixture of Ru and BINAP, that causes the molecules compounds to attract together and act on other molecules in a catalytic fashion?

These last two sentences in this previous paragraph here are what I am unsure of. I cannot form an adequate mental image, chemically, of what is meant by "complex"

[kriggy]

Try reading some of this it might help you understand whats going on with complexes (=coordination compound):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coordination_compound
and good example of this in catalysis is for example:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilkinson_Catalyst

edit: I also agree with spirochete, this question is  better suited for inorganic chemistry

[Zensation]

Thanks for the links.... very helpful! Reading over this makes a lot more sense.