5 Transition metals in organic synthesis

Abstract

A selection of transition metal mediated reactions from the chemical literature of 2003 are reviewed. Reactions involve a metal component either catalytically or stoichiometrically. The review is divided into reaction types. The author has endeavoured to emphasise reactions of great current interest in academic and industrial sectors in the fields of organic, organometallic and bioorganic chemistry. The review combines the separate catalytic and stoichiometric reviews written previously, focusing more on general transition metal mediated coupling processes, cyclisation and alkene metathesis reactions.