Wikipedia:Today's featured article/March 28, 2011
Rhodocene is a chemical compound with the formula Rh(C5H5)2. Each molecule contains an atom of rhodium bound between two planar systems of five carbon atoms known as cyclopentadienyl rings in a sandwich arrangement. It is an organometallic compound as it has covalent rhodium–carbon bonds. Biomedical researchers have examined the applications of rhodium compounds and their derivatives in medicine and reported one potential application for a rhodocene derivative as a radiopharmaceutical to treat small cancers. Rhodocene derivatives are also used to synthesise linked metallocenes so that metal–metal interactions can be studied; potential applications of these derivatives include molecular electronics and research into the mechanisms of catalysis. The value of rhodocenes tends to be in the insights they provide into the bonding and dynamics of novel chemical systems, rather than their direct use in applications. (more...)
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