Organotransition-Metal Chemistry

In every generation the achievements in science have served mankind. The progress accomplished by one generation stimulates the next generation to even greater achievements, which may take the form of increasing, crystallizing, or detailing existing theo­ ries. Other forms, generally resulting from persistence and enlight­ ened fortune, open new areas of investigation previously unimagined and have an impact that may be felt for many years. An example of this latter form of achievement was the prepara­ tion and elucidation of the structures of dicyclopentadienyliron (ferrocene, reported in 1951) dibenzenechromium iodide, triphenyl­ chromium tristetrahydrofuranate, and numerous olefin-metal ~-com­ plexes which provided an introduction to new types of chemical bonds­ the sigma carbon-transition metal bond and the metal ~-complex bond. Initial progress in the field of organotransition-metal chemis­ try followed the lines of interest generated separately by organic and inorganic chemistry. However, it is becoming increasingly clear that organotransit10n-metal chemistry is not only bridging these two fields, but also crosslinking many other fields of science.