Compounds containing a planar-tetracoordinate carbon atom as analogues of planar methane

Over the past years the number of examples of compounds containing a planar-tetracoordinate carbon atom has increased. However, the presence of a carbon atom with a 360° sum of angles does not imply that the species is a derivative of planar methane; there must be an appropriate electronic stabilization. In the case of complexes 21a and 21b the central carbon atom is indeed stabilized by σ-donors and π-acceptors, as required for planar methane.