Organometallic Chemistry

Types of transition metal to carbon bonds, classification of organometallic compounds based on hapticity and polarity of M-C bond, nomenclature and general characteristics, electron counting (16 and 18 electron rules), routes of synthesis for s-alkyls and aryls of transition metals, stability of organometallic compounds and decomposition pathways.

Preparation, properties, structure and bonding of carbene and carbyne complexes (both Fischer and Schrock types), nucleophilic and electrophilic reactions on the ligands, role in organic synthesis.                                               

Preparation, properties, structure and bonding of η⁴- diene complexes,η⁵- dienyl complexes, η⁶- arene complexes,fluxionality and dynamic equilibria in such as h²- olefin,  η³ allyl and η^5-dienyl complexes.

Principles and important reactions of transition metal organometallics- co-coordinative unsaturation oxidative addition, insertion and product isolation(reductive elimination and β- elimination).

Homogeneous catalysis- hydrogenation of alkenes, hydrosilylation of alkenes, metathesis of alkenes, oligomerization and polymerization of alkenes and alkynes, hydroformylation of alkenes, acetic acid synthesis and other carbonylation reactions, oxidation reactions of alkenes.

Heterogeneous catalysis- Fischer Tropsch process- Methanation reaction, synthesis of methanol, gasoline  production, water gas shift reaction, role of ZnO/Cr₂O₃ in the reaction, acetic acid synthesis, role of CO catalyst.

Metal carbonyls- preparation, properties, structure and bonding with special reference to dinuclear and polynuclear carbonyls, vibrational spectra of metal carbonyls (bridging and terminal) for bonding and structural elucidation, metal carbonyl clusters.

Dinitrogen and dioxygen complexes- preparation, properties, structure and bonding.