Structure and Bonding analysis of the cationic electrophilic phosphinidene complexes of iron, ruthenium, and osmium [(η(5)-C5Me5)(CO)2M{PN(i)Pr2}]+, [(η(5)-C5H5)(CO)2M{PNR2}]+ (R = Me, (i)Pr), and [(η(5)-C5H5)(PMe3)2M{PNMe2}]+ (M = Fe, Ru, Os).

Quantum-chemical DFT calculations for the electronic, molecular structure and M-PNR(2) bonding analyses of the experimentally known cationic electrophilic phosphinidene complexes [(η(5)-C(5)Me(5))(CO)(2)M{PN(i)Pr(2)}](+) and of the model complexes [(η(5)-C(5)H(5))(CO)(2)M{PNR(2)}](+) (R = (i)Pr, Me) and [(η(5)-C(5)H(5))(PMe(3))(2)M{PNMe(2)}](+) were carried out using BP86/TZ2P/ZORA level of theory. The calculated geometrical parameters of the studied complexes are in good agreement with the reported experimental values. The short M-P bond distances and calculated Pauling bond orders (range of 1.23-1.68), suggest the presence of M-P multiple bond characters. The Hirshfeld charge analysis shows that the overall charge flows from phosphinidene ligand to metal fragment. The M-P σ-bonding orbitals are well-occupied (>1.80e). The energy decomposition analysis revealed that the contribution of the electrostatic interaction ΔE(elstat) is, in all studied complexes, significantly larger (55.2-62.6%) than the orbital interactions ΔE(orb). The orbital interactions between metal and PNR(2) in [(η(5)-C(5)H(5))(L)(2)M{PNR(2)}](+) arise mainly from M ← PNR(2) σ-donation. The π-bonding contribution (19-36%) is much smaller than the σ-bonding. The interaction energies, as well as bond dissociation energies, depend on the auxiliary ligand framework around the metal and decrease in the order (η(5)-C(5)H(5)) > (η(5)-C(5)Me(5)) and CO > PMe(3). Upon substitution of R = (i)Pr with smaller group R = Me, the M-PNR(2) bond strength slightly decreases.