The Organic Chemistry of Nickel

Book excerpt: The Organic Chemistry of Nickel, Volume II: Organic Synthesis describes the chemistry of the organonickel complexes and the use of nickel in organic synthesis. Composed of six chapters, this volume starts with discussions on the oligomerization, co-oligomerization, and polymerization of olefins, followed by short accounts of the mechanistically related isomerization and hydrogenation of olefins, as well as the hydrosilylation and hydrocyanation reactions. Chapter II examines the oligomerization of acetylene and substituted alkynes, the co-oligomerization of alkynes with olefins, the related oligomerization of allene, including a number of telomerization reactions involving alkynes or allenes. Chapters III and IV describe the oligomerization, co-oligomerization, and polymerization of butadiene and substituted 1,3-dienes. Chapter V explores the coupling of organic halides in the presence of stoichiometric amounts of zerovalent nickel complexes, and the nickel-catalyzed cross-coupling reaction between organic halides and Grignard reagents. Lastly, Chapter VI emphasizes the carbonylation of alkynes, olefins, and organic halides using nickel complexes. This book will be of great value to organic chemists and researchers who are interested in the application of nickel complexes to organic synthesis.