Dear Colleagues,

The activation of small molecules continues to be intensely investigated as it offers insights into the fundamental steps of important catalytic transformations. Equally it also provides opportunities to uncover new modes of chemical reactivity and thus augment the available synthetic and catalytic toolkit. Historically, organometallic complexes of the transition metals have been at the forefront of such developments, and continue to play an important role in expanding the chemical space due to their ability to promote the activation of important small molecules in a plethora of ways. These range from established modes of activation to more niche pathways involving non-spectator ligands or modes reminiscent of biological processes such as proton-coupled electron transfer. More recently, organometallic complexes of the f-block metals (lanthanides and actinides) have demonstrated a rich and diverse reactivity towards small molecules, ushering in a renaissance at the bottom of the periodic table. At the same time, s- and p- block main group compounds supported by ligands usually associated with ‘classic’ organometallic complexes have offered some exciting examples in the field of small molecule activation, previously thought to be only the prerogative of transition metals. Moreover, the introduction of electrochemical methods has opened new possibilities in the field allowing the controlled (re)cycling and generation of reactive intermediates or active catalytic species, thus allowing, for instance, the upscaling of environmentally relevant small molecules to value-added chemicals.

In this Special Issue dedicated to the activation of small molecules by organometallic complexes, we would like to invite contributions covering some of the recent advances in all these aspects in the form of both original research papers and critical reviews.

Dr. Nikolaos Tsoureas
Dr. Alexander (Sandy) Kilpatrick
Guest Editors

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• small molecule activation
• organometallic complexes
• low valent
• main group