A comparison of quantitative theoretical results of the bonding in Ni(CO)4 and Ni(N2)4

Using non-empirical calculations the details of bonding in Ni(CO)₄ and in the analogous Ni(N₂)₄ are investigated.For Ni(CO)₄ some previous results are confirmed. In the calculation on Ni(N₂)₄ the close resemblance with Ni(CO)₄ is quite remarkable. The main difference is contained in the fact that carbon has a lower -electron density than nitrogen and that therefore the *-orbital in CO is lower in energy and geometrically more favourable for back donation.From the calculations we find a difference in metal-ligand bond energy between the carbonyl complex and the dinitrogen complex of approximately 18 kcal/mol.