Linear MgCp*₂ vs Bent CaCp*₂: London Dispersion, Ligand-Induced Charge Localizations, and Pseudo-Pregostic C–H···Ca Interactions

In the family of metallocenes, MgCp*₂ (Cp* = pentamethylcyclopentadienyl) exhibits a regular linear sandwich structure, whereas CaCp*₂ is bent in both the gas phase and solid state. Bending is typically observed for metal ions which possess a lone pair. Here, we investigate which electronic differences cause the bending in complexes lacking lone pairs at the metal atoms. The bent gas-phase geometry of CaCp*₂ suggests that the bending must have an intramolecular origin. Geometry optimizations with and without dispersion effects/d-type polarization functions on MCp₂ and MCp*₂ gas-phase complexes (M = Ca, Mg) establish that attractive methyl···methyl London dispersion interactions play a decisive role in the bending in CaCp*₂. A sufficient polarizability of the metal to produce a shallow bending potential energy curve is a prerequisite but is not the reason for the bending. Concomitant ligand-induced charge concentrations and localizations at the metal atoms are studied in further detail, for which real-space bonding and orbital-based descriptors are used. Low-temperature crystal structures of MgCp*₂ and CaCp*₂ were determined which facilitated the identification and characterization of intermolecular pseudo-pregostic interactions, C–H···Ca, in the CaCp*₂ crystal structure.