CO insertion

CO insertion is a chemical reaction where a carbon monoxide (CO) molecule forms a new carbon-carbon bond between the carbon atom of the CO ligand and the carbon atom of an alkyl ligand. This reaction is significant in organometallic chemistry, particularly with d-block transition metals.1

Metal carbonyls are compounds where CO molecules act as ligands, donating electron pairs to a metal atom. This bonding involves sigma donation from the CO's carbon atom to the metal and pi backbonding from the metal's d orbitals to the CO's antibonding orbitals. This synergic bonding stabilizes the metal carbonyl complex.23

CO insertion is a key step in various transformations of organometallic compounds and is employed in both laboratory synthesis and industrial catalytic cycles.1