The (hopefully tongue-in-cheek) title Mindless chemistry was given to an article reporting[cite]10.1021/jp057107z[/cite] an automated stochastic search procedure for locating all possible minima with a given composition using high-level quantum mechanical calculations. “Many new structures, often with nonintuitive geometries, were found”. Well, another approach is to follow unexpected hunches.

Much like chocolate, some of us metallaholics cannot get enough. So WUQXIP proved an irresistible frolic (DOI: 10.1021/om020789h). Let us start with benzene.  It can have metals added in two ways, whilst preserving its essential aromaticity. Triple metal delight. Making a metal sandwich is of course very well known, ferrocene being the first example where the bonding was identified.

The molecule below was characterised in 1996 (DOI: 10.1246/cl.1996.489) and given the name tris(dithiolene)vanadium (IV). No attempt was made in the original article to give this molecule a Lewis structure using Lewis electron pair bonds. This blog will explore some of the issues that arise when this is attempted. ¹ NAMPOG.

The Grignard reaction is encountered early on in most chemistry courses, and most labs include the preparation of this reagent, typically by the following reaction: 2PhBr + 2Mg → 2PhMgBr ↔︎ MgBr ₂ + Ph ₂ Mg The reagent itself exists as part of an equilibrium, named after Schlenk, in which a significant concentration of a dialkyl or diarylmagnesium species is formed.