Cyclopentadienylthallium, also known as thallium cyclopentadienide, is an organothallium compound with formula C₅H₅Tl. This light yellow solid is insoluble in most organic solvents, but sublimes readily, and is useful as a precursor to transition metal

Transition metal

The term transition metal has two possible meanings:*The IUPAC definition states that a transition metal is "an element whose atom has an incomplete d sub-shell, or which can give rise to cations with an incomplete d sub-shell." Group 12 elements are not transition metals in this definition.*Some...

 and main group Cp

Cyclopentadiene

Cyclopentadiene is an organic compound with the formula C5H6. This colorless liquid has a strong and unpleasant odor. At room temperature, this cyclic diene dimerizes over the course of hours to give dicyclopentadiene via a Diels–Alder reaction...

 compounds, as well as organic cyclopentadiene

Cyclopentadiene

Cyclopentadiene is an organic compound with the formula C5H6. This colorless liquid has a strong and unpleasant odor. At room temperature, this cyclic diene dimerizes over the course of hours to give dicyclopentadiene via a Diels–Alder reaction...

 derivatives.

Preparation

Cyclopentadienylthallium is prepared by the reaction of thallium(I) sulfate

Thallium(I) sulfate

Thallium sulfate , archaically known as thallous sulfate, is the sulfate salt of thallium. It is colorless, odorless, and tasteless, but highly toxic.-Uses:...

, sodium hydroxide, and cyclopentadiene

Cyclopentadiene

Cyclopentadiene is an organic compound with the formula C5H6. This colorless liquid has a strong and unpleasant odor. At room temperature, this cyclic diene dimerizes over the course of hours to give dicyclopentadiene via a Diels–Alder reaction...

:

Tl₂SO₄ + 2 NaOH → 2 TlOH + Na₂SO₄

TlOH + C₅H₆ → TlC₅H₅ + H₂O

Applications

Compared to most of other cyclopentadienyl transfer reagent such as cyclopentadienyl sodium

Sodium cyclopentadienide

Sodium cyclopentadienide is an organosodium compound with the formula C5H5Na. The compound is often abbreviated as NaCp or CpNa, where Cp− is the cyclopentadienide anion. Cp is also used as an abbreviation for the cyclopentadienyl ligand in coordination chemistry.-Preparation:Sodium...

, CpMgBr and Cp₂Mg, cyclopentadienylthallium is less air sensitive.