The reactivity of alcohols can be enhanced by the temporary removal of hydrogen using a transition metal catalyst to generate an intermediate aldehyde or ketone. The so-formed carbonyl compound has a greater reactivity towards nucleophilic addition accommodating the in situ formation of imines or alkenes. The return of hydrogen from the catalyst leads to the formation of new C-N and C-C bonds, often with water as the only reaction by-product.

A selective catalytic meta sulfonation of 2-phenylpyridines was found to occur in the presence of (arene)ruthenium(II) complexes upon reaction with sulfonyl chlorides. The 2-pyridyl group facilitates the formation of a stable Ru-C(aryl) σ bond that induces a strong para-directing effect. Electrophilic aromatic substitution proceeds with the sulfonyl chloride to furnish a sulfone at the position meta to the chelating group. This new catalytic process offers access to atypical regioselectivity for reactions involving chelation-assisted cyclometalation.

The two-coordinate cationic Ni(I) bis-N-heterocyclic carbene complex [Ni(6-Mes)2]Br (1) [6-Mes =1,3-bis(2,4,6-trimethylphenyl)-3,4,5,6-tetrahydropyrimidin-2-ylidene] has been structurally characterized and displays a highly linear geometry with a C-Ni-C angle of 179.27(13)°. Density functional theory calculations revealed that the five occupied metal-based orbitals are split in an approximate 2:1:2 pattern. Significant magnetic anisotropy results from this orbital degeneracy, leading to single-ion magnet (SIM) behavior.

Thermolysis of Ru(PPh3)3(CO)H2 with the N-heterocyclic carbene bis(1,3-(2,4,6-trimethylphenyl)imidazol-2-ylidene) (IMes) results in C-C activation of an Ar-CH3 bond in one of the mesityl rings of the carbene ligand. Upon addition of IMes to Ru(PPh3)3(CO)H2 at room temperature in the presence of an alkene, C-H bond activation is observed instead. The thermodynamics of these C-C and C-H cleavage reactions have been probed using density functional theory.