Manganese: Organometallic Chemistry

Abstract

Ever since the characterization of Mn 2 (CO) 10 in 1954, manganese has played an important role in the development of organometallic chemistry. In some ways, however, manganese has not been as prominently utilized in synthesis and catalysis as some other transition metals such as iron, cobalt, chromium, and so on. The low cost of the metal, its accessible oxidation states, and the versatility of its many reaction pathways suggest that manganese will play a feature role in the organometallic chemistry of the future. Herein, new developments in organomanganese chemistry are described. There have been significant advances in insertion reactions, nucleophilic additions to coordinated arenes, and the chemistry of manganese‐coordinated carbenes, vinylidenes, and cymantrenes. Of special interest are the recent demonstration of manganese‐mediated activation of strong covalent bonds in sulfur and nitrogen heterocycles and the construction of organomanganese coordination networks via self‐assembly of modular quinonoid complexes.