The bonding in alkene complexes is described by the Dewar-Chatt-Duncanson model, which provides us with a bonding picture not unlike that seen in carbonyl or phosphine complexes. A sigma-type donation from the C=C pi orbital with concomitant pi-backbonding into an empty pi* orbital on the ethylene presents us with a synergistic bonding situation: the greater the sigma donation to the metal, the greater the pi-backbonding: