CHEM 421

CHEM 421: Organometallic Chemistry

Course Description This course serves as an interactive bridge connecting organic and inorganic chemistry. It aims to introduce senior-year students to the nature, classification, and stability of compounds containing direct metal-carbon (M-C) bonds. The course focuses on understanding organometallic reaction mechanisms and their pivotal role as catalysts in modern chemical and pharmaceutical industries.

Syllabus Topics

1. Introduction & Principles

• Definition and historical/theoretical classification of organometallic compounds.
• Factors governing the stability and reactivity of these complexes (resistance to decomposition and oxidation).

2. Main Group Organometallics

• Overview of main group (s- and p-block) organometallics, such as organolithium reagents and Grignard reagents.
• Synthetic methods, bonding nature, and their applications as powerful nucleophilic reagents in organic synthesis.

3. Transition Metal Complexes

• In-depth study of transition metal complexes (e.g., metal carbonyls and olefin complexes).
• The Effective Atomic Number (EAN) rule / 18-Electron Rule and its application in predicting complex stability.
• Classification of ligands and the nature of σ (sigma) and π (pi) bonding.

4. Fundamental Reactions & Mechanisms

• Metal-carbon bond cleavage pathways.
• Oxidative Addition and Reductive Elimination mechanisms.
• Migratory Insertion and various elimination pathways (e.g., β-hydride elimination).

5. Catalysis Applications

• Evaluation of the role of organometallic complexes in homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis.
• Prominent industrial applications, including hydrogenation, polymer production (Ziegler-Natta catalysts), and cross-coupling reactions.

Course Learning Outcomes (CLOs) Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Differentiate precisely between conventional coordination complexes and organometallic compounds.
• Apply the 18-electron rule to determine and evaluate the electronic stability of transition metal complexes.
• Deduce and construct the mechanisms and catalytic cycles driving major industrial chemical processes.
• Predict the reaction outcomes of main group and transition metal reagents when reacted with various organic substrates.