Characterization Techniques of Organometallic Compounds

Organometallics have attracted huge interest as a rapidly growing class of compounds for a multitude of applications. Exploring the structural motifs of these compounds is critical and significantly advanced with various analytical and experimental techniques. Understanding their chemical bonding, crystal structure, elemental composition, and different physical properties is evaluated by more than one technique. Pros and cons of each technique confuse a single choice, leading to combinatorial characterization methods. Most journals often direct authors for a detailed submission of adequate characterization information of synthesized organometallic compounds. Characterizing organometallic compounds is sometimes routine, as the identification of functional groups requires basic instruments, termed conventional methods. Techniques capable of analyzing compounds in-depth, such as understanding an unprecedented structural feature or undergoing unexpected reactions, are termed unconventional methods. In this chapter, we highlight both methods focusing on probing the nature of bonding of ligands, phenomena that occur upon bonding certain ligands, and some intriguing interactions between metals in clusters.