organometallic compound: Quick Facts

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A periodic table diagram highlights the s, p, d, and f blocks, with most elements shaded to indicate the metals relevant to organometallic chemistry. Group numbers are labeled at the top.

tetracarbonylnickel

Structural diagram of the vitamin B12 coenzyme molecule, highlighting its organometallic core with five nitrogen-cobalt bonds and one cobalt-carbon bond at the center, surrounded by complex organic groups.

alkyllithium and Grignard reagents

β-hydrogen elimination

bonding of the CO ligand to a metal atom

organometallic reagent Fe(CO)42−

A chemical diagram illustrates the stepwise formation of organometallic ruthenium clusters, showing how one ruthenium atom is added at each stage to build increasingly complex structures, with arrows indicating the addition of Ru(CO)5 and loss of CO molecules.

A reaction cycle diagram shows the catalytic hydrogenation of alkenes by a rhodium complex with triphenylphosphine ligands and solvent molecules. Each step is represented by a chemical structure, with arrows indicating the sequence from the rhodium catalyst binding hydrogen, reacting with an alkene, and forming a saturated alkane product before regenerating the catalyst.

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Topics

alkylmagnesium alkylaluminum metallocene organolithium compound potassium hexachloroplatinate triethylaluminum Zeise’s salt bent sandwich compound metal carbonyl tetraethyl lead Protein Hormone Lipid carboxylic acid hydrocarbon heterocyclic compound organosulfur compound Nucleic acid Carbohydrate Steroid

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Key People

Wilkinson's catalyst

Sir Geoffrey Wilkinson

British chemist

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Ernst Otto Fischer

German chemist