Element-element additions to unsaturated carbon-carbon bonds catalyzed by transition metal complexes

This review covers homo- and heterointerelement additions to alkynes, 1,3-dienes, 1,2-dienes, and alkenes, as well as additions to methylenecyclopropanes and vinylcyclopropanes, with the latter being covered together with alkenes. The literature up to 2005 is covered. It is shown that fundamental studies of oxidative additions of interelement compounds to low valent transition metal complexes and insertion of different types of unsaturated hydrocarbons have resulted in deep insight into mechanistic aspects as well as important synthetic methodology.