Organometallic Compounds of the Platinum Metals

Although platinum provided the first known example of an organometallic complex of a transition metal, intensive studies of compounds of the platinum metals with metal to carbon bonds have come mainly during the past decade. The main classes of stable organo-complexes such as those having olefins, acetylenes, alkyl or cyclopentadienyl groups as ligands are discussed. The study of such stable complexes should assist in the elucidation of the mechanism of various reactions which are catalysed by platinum metal salts or complexes.