Transition Metal Organometallics in Organic Synthesis
Organotransition metal compounds, either as reagents, intermediates or catalysts, continue to hold center stage in the development of new, selective and practically useful methods for organic synthesis. A central paradigm of organotransition metal chemistry is the modiยฎed reactivity of molecular species when coordinated to transition metals. This theme is well illustrated and exploited in this Symposium-in-Print, the ยฎrst to be published on the topic since 1993. Offered herein are 23 reports from leaders in the ยฎeld on the reactivity and synthetic utility of a diversity of organometallic complexes: metal-alkyl, -alkylidene(carbene), -alkyne, -allyl, -polyene and -arene derivatives. Studies involving organometallics both as stoichiometric and catalytic agents are included. The former systems facilitate thorough reactivity and mechanistic understanding and provide practical laboratory scale applications, while the latter (catalytic) reactions offer convenience and economy for large scale synthesis. The Symposium contributions are grouped, for pedagogical value, according to the reactive ligand type. Since the greatest reward for the contributors is to have their ยฎndings employed by other chemists to achieve their synthetic objectives, we hope that you will ยฎnd the contents of this Symposium to be both of fundamental interest and practical value.