1,5-COD binds to low-valent metals via both alkene groups.
Metal-COD complexes are attractive because they are sufficiently stable to be isolated, often being more robust than related ethylene complexes.
The stability of COD complexes is attributable to the chelate effect.
 The COD ligands are easily displaced by other ligands, such as phosphines.

Ni(COD)₂ is prepared by reduction of anhydrous nickel acetylacetonate in the presence of the ligand, using triethylaluminium
​¹⁄₃ [Ni(C₅H₇O₂)₂]₃ + 2 COD + 2 Al(C₂H₅)₃ → Ni(COD)₂ + 2 Al(C₂H₅)₂(C₅H₇O₂) + C₂H₄ + C₂H₆
The related Pt(COD)₂ is prepared by a more circuitous route involving the dilithium cyclooctatetraene:
Li₂C₈H₈ + PtCl₂(COD) + 3 C₇H₁₀ → [Pt(C₇H₁₀)₃] + 2 LiCl + C₈H₈ + C₈H₁₂
Pt(C₇H₁₀)₃ + 2 COD → Pt(COD)₂ + 3 C₇H₁₀
Extensive work has been reported on complexes of COD, much of which has been described in volumes 25, 26, and 28 of Inorganic Syntheses.
The platinum complex is a precursor to a 16-electron complex of ethylene:
Pt(COD)₂ + 3 C₂H₄ → Pt(C₂H₄)₃ + 2 COD
COD complexes are useful as starting materials; one noteworthy example is the reaction:
Ni(COD)₂ + 4 CO → Ni(CO)₄ + 2 COD
The product Ni(CO)₄ is highly toxic, thus it is advantageous to generate it in the reaction vessel upon demand.
 Other low-valent metal complexes of COD include cyclooctadiene rhodium chloride dimer, cyclooctadiene iridium chloride dimer, and Fe(COD)(CO)₃, and Crabtree's catalyst.

The M(COD)₂ complexes with nickel, palladium, and platinum have tetrahedral geometry, whereas [M(COD)₂]⁺ complexes of rhodium and iridium are square planar.
1,5-COD binds to low-valent metals via both alkene groups. Metal-COD complexes are attractive because they are sufficiently stable to be isolated, often being more robust than related ethylene complexes. The stability of COD complexes is attributable to the chelate effect.  The COD ligands are easily displaced by other ligands, such as phosphines.
Ni(COD)₂ is prepared by reduction of anhydrous nickel acetylacetonate in the presence of the ligand, using triethylaluminium
​¹⁄₃ [Ni(C₅H₇O₂)₂]₃ + 2 COD + 2 Al(C₂H₅)₃ → Ni(COD)₂ + 2 Al(C₂H₅)₂(C₅H₇O₂) + C₂H₄ + C₂H₆
The related Pt(COD)₂ is prepared by a more circuitous route involving the dilithium cyclooctatetraene:
Li₂C₈H₈ + PtCl₂(COD) + 3 C₇H₁₀ → [Pt(C₇H₁₀)₃] + 2 LiCl + C₈H₈ + C₈H₁₂
Pt(C₇H₁₀)₃ + 2 COD → Pt(COD)₂ + 3 C₇H₁₀
Extensive work has been reported on complexes of COD, much of which has been described in volumes 25, 26, and 28 of Inorganic Syntheses. The platinum complex is a precursor to a 16-electron complex of ethylene:
Pt(COD)₂ + 3 C₂H₄ → Pt(C₂H₄)₃ + 2 COD
COD complexes are useful as starting materials; one noteworthy example is the reaction:
Ni(COD)₂ + 4 CO → Ni(CO)₄ + 2 COD
The product Ni(CO)₄ is highly toxic, thus it is advantageous to generate it in the reaction vessel upon demand.  Other low-valent metal complexes of COD include cyclooctadiene rhodium chloride dimer, cyclooctadiene iridium chloride dimer, and Fe(COD)(CO)₃, and Crabtree's catalyst.
The M(COD)₂ complexes with nickel, palladium, and platinum have tetrahedral geometry, whereas [M(COD)₂]⁺ complexes of rhodium and iridium are square planar.
1,5-Cyclooctadiene