Single Electron Transfer Reactions in the Synthetic Organometallic Chemistry of First-Row Transition Metals

The discovery of new applications in small-molecule activation, olefin polymerization, and organic synthesis has stimulated interest in well-defined, paramagnetic, first-row transition-metal organometallic compounds. Single-electron-transfer reactions have proved to be a useful tool in the targeted synthesis of such complexes. In this review, several examples from the recent literature are used to illustrate this strategy. The case studies include β-diketiminato complexes of Cr(II) and Cr(III), three-coordinate Ni(II) species, and β-diketiminato complexes of V(III), V(IV), and V(V).