Re: How To Make Organometallic Crystals

"Inorganic Syntheses."

An organometallic is formally a molecular compound which contains at least 
one metal-carbon bond.  Butyllithium would qualify, but it explodes into a 
red fireball on contact with air or moisture.  Go to a university library 
and look up less reactive, classic compounds like Zeise's salt and 
ferrocene.

Ferrocene can be crystallized like table salt (albeit different solvents), 
with no precautions at all.  The synthesis and chemistry (nucleophilic 
substitution re aromatics; deprotonate with BuLi/TMEDA and have some real 
fun) of ferrocenes is all over the teaching literature.  Look up back 
issues of J. Chem. Ed. for instance.  Titanocene dichloride is another 
favorite.  The chlorides are labile and thus a wide range of derivatives 
can be made - some chemically inert, some not.

Fischer carbene complexes are worth a look if you like mildly reactive 
exotics.

As for handling nasties, look up Schlenk techniques.