Alkene Metathesis in Organic Synthesis

Organometallic chemistry is a well established research area at the interface of organic and inorganic chemistry. In recent years this field has undergone a ren­ aissance as our understanding of organometallic structure, properties and mechanism has opened the way for the design of organometallic compounds and reactions tailored to the needs of such diverse areas as medicine, biology, materials and polymer sciences and organic synthesis. For example, in the de­ velopment of new catalytic processes, organometallic chemistry is helping meet the challenge to society that the economic and environmental necessities of the future pose. As this field becomes increasingly interdisciplinary, we recognize the need for critical overviews of new developments that are of broad significance. This is our goal in starting this new series Topics in Organometallic Chemistry. The scope of coverage includes a broad range of topics of pure and applied or­ ganometallic chemistry, where new breakthroughs are being achieved that are of significance to a larger scientific audience. Topics in Organometallic Chemistry differs from existing review series in that each volume is thematic, giving an overview of an area that has reached a stage of maturity such that coverage in a single review article is no longer possible. Furthermore, the treatment addresses a broad audience of researchers, who are not specialists in the field, starting at the graduate student level. Discussion of possible future research directions in the areas covered by the individual volumes is welcome.

The tremendous progress in olefin metathesis achieved during the last decade can hardly be overestimated. Due to the development of a new generation of well defined and high-performance organometallic catalysts, this reaction is rapidly evolving into one of the most versatile tools for advanced organic chemistry, natural product synthesis, fine chemical production and polymer sciences. Written by some of the leading experts in this field, this monograph intends to familiarize the reader with the most exciting developments and frontiers in this flourishing field of chemistry research.