Catalytic reactions involving M-E bonds

化学合成的进步使我们能够制造出重要种类的复杂分子，包括药物、高级材料和精细化学品。因此，新的或改进的合成方法可以在许多研究和制造领域产生直接影响。值得注意的是，过渡金属配合物（即催化剂）可用于控制化学反应性。这些催化剂使以前认为不可能发生的反应成为可能，极大地扩展了有用合成反应的“工具箱”。然而，我们对这些金属配合物如何运作的理解仍然不足以可靠地设计新的反应方法。通过了解金属的反应性，我们希望能够扩大被认为是合成可行的范围，从而促进获得各种生物医学分子和材料的兴趣。

Advances in chemical synthesis allow the construction of important classes of complex molecules, including medicinal agents, advanced materials, and fine chemicals. New or improved synthetic methods can thus have immediate impact in a number of areas of research and manufacturing. Notably, transition metal complexes (i.e., catalysts) can be used to control chemical reactivity. These catalysts permit reactions previously thought to be impossible, dramatically expanding the "toolbox" of useful synthetic reactions. However, our understanding of how these metal complexes operate remains insufficient to reliably design new reaction methods. By understanding metal reactivity, we expect to be able to expand the scope of what is considered synthetically feasible, thereby facilitating access to a variety of molecules of biomedical and materials interest.