Review Lecture The use of free atoms of transition metals in chemical synthesis

Transition metal atoms were first used in chemical synthesis about 15 years ago and they now have an extensive chemistry. This review outlines the development of atom chemistry with emphasis on the fruitful partnership between spectroscopic studies and preparative scale studies of atom reactions. The preparation of organometallic compounds, coordination compounds, metal cluster compounds and catalysts from transition metal atoms are discussed, and the possibility of using atoms on an industrial scale is considered.