2. Main topics covered

This presentation will begin with the study of metal carbonyls and the metal-metal bond, which is particularly important in polynuclear metal carbonyls. Next, the problem of carbon monoxide substitution will be discussed in detail. Some typical reactions will then be discussed and illustrated with numerous examples, namely the oxidative addition reaction and the insertion reaction. This will be followed by the problem of metal-carbon multiple bonding, the existence of which cannot be ruled out if that of the single bond is well established. Finally, the concepts developed will be applied to explain a few examples of homogeneous industrial catalysis, even if some of them were actually found before organometallic transition metal chemistry had acquired its credentials, like the hydroformylation reaction developed by Reppe, for example.