Organometallic Chemistry of Transition Metals

These compounds have at least one metal–carbon bond, but species with metal–phosphane bonds often are included in this family. The historical background is followed by descriptions of the bonding in terms of qualitative valence bond theory, molecular orbital theory, and the eighteen-electron rule. These approaches can rationalize the stability and arrangement of the ligands around the metal. The metal carbonyls and metal cyclopentadienes are important members of this family, and their bonding is described in detail. The syntheses and reactions of some representative organometallic species are described. The final section involves the use of organometallic species as catalysts for the homogeneous hydrogenation of organic substrates. The coverage of these topics includes references published through to mid-2021.