Industrial Chemistry and Water Treatment

Organometallic Chemistry

There’s a reason the “organo” comes first in “organometallic chemistry”—our goal is usually the creation of new bonds in organic compounds. The metals tend to just be along for the ride (although their influence, obviously, is essential). And the fact is that you can do things with organometallic chemistry that you cannot do using straight-up organic chemistry. The term "metalorganics" usually refers to metal-containing compounds lacking direct metal-carbon bonds but which contain organic ligands like Metal beta-diketonates, alkoxides, and dialkylamides are representative members of this class. In addition to the traditional metals, lanthanides, actinides, and semimetals, elements such as boron, silicon, arsenic, and selenium are considered to form organometallic compounds, e.g. organoborane compounds such as triethylborane (Et₃B). Many complexes feature coordination bonds between a metal and organic ligands. The organic ligands often bind the metal through a heteroatom such as oxygen or nitrogen, in which case such compounds are considered coordination compounds. Organometallic compounds undergo several important reactions:

1. Oxidative addition and reductive elimination

2. Transmetalation

3. Carbometalation

4.Hydrometalation

5.Electron transfer

6. Beta-hydride elimination

7. Organometallic substitution reaction
 

8.Carbon-hydrogen bond activation

9. Cyclometalation

10.Nucleophilic abstraction