Remarks on the Gallium to Iron Bond in an Ar*GaFe(CO)₄ Molecule

Bonding between the gallium and iron atoms in the title compound is discussed by using well-established, qualitative concepts and the results of density functional theory calculations. It is shown clearly that there is no basis for proposing an iron−gallium triple bond and, on the basis of both data and theory, that there can be only a Ga→Fe bond of order 1.