Introduction to the "recent advances in f-element organometallic chemistry" special issue of organometallics

The March 2013 Special Issue of Organometallics presents some papers on the recent advancements made in the field of f-element organometallic chemistry. The f elements, meaning the lanthanides and actinides, are the elements in the periodic table in which the 4f and 5f shells, respectively, are filled. The discovery of the sandwich compound uranocene ((C₈H₈)₂U) by Streitwieser in 1968 created excitement in this field and illustrated the unusual organometallic chemistry and bonding possibilities of these elements. Beyond simple f-element cyclopentadienyl complexes, the next major advance came with the implementation in both lanthanide and actinide organometallic chemistry of the Me₅C₅ (Cp*) ligand. This new ancillary ligand provides highly reactive organometallic complexes having good hydrocarbon solubility, which eliminates the need to use more coordinating/deactivating solvents, while opening the metal coordination spheres for greater diversity in reactivity.