Multimetallic Catalysts – Homogeneous

Abstract

A review of some of the best examples of two or more metal centers cooperating in a variety of homogeneous catalytic reactions is presented. Catalytic reactions covered include hydroformylation, cyclopropanation and diazoalkane cyclization, hydrogenation, oxidations, asymmetric epoxide ring openings, asymmetric aldol, thietane ring‐opening cyclizations, and tandem catalysis. Many enzymes have long been recognized to make use of two or more metal centers in activating substrates for further reaction. A few representative enzymatic systems are presented as part of the introductory material. A number of examples of multimetallic fragmentations to reactive monometallic catalyst species, a serious ongoing problem, are also presented and discussed.