Coordination modes of azide in cadmium azide complexes: A review of properties and applications

Azide serves as a flexible bridge for cadmium, with various modes such as single or double bridges mu(1,3)-N-3 (EE), mu(1,1)-N-3 (EO), and (mu(1,3)-N-3) (mu(1,1)-N-3) (EE/EO), triple bridges mu(1,1,3)-N-3 and mu(1,1,1)-N-3, as well as the terminal mode. This comprehensive review provides an in-depth analysis of cadmium azide complexes, including their structural properties such as geometry, space group, and coordination number of cadmium. The properties were presented separately for different types of azides in dedicated tables, highlighting unique reported compounds. Additionally, we explored the potential effects of azide on complex properties. Cadmium azide complexes have a wide range of potential applications, including corrosion inhibition, antibacterial activity, thermal stability, and catalysis. To illustrate, we provide examples of each of these applications. Our study demonstrates that azide tends to act in the mu(1,1) mode, with a commonly contributed mu(1,3) mode resulting in an octahedral structure in most cases.