In the last few years a large repetoire of methods for the activation of unreactive organic functionalities and for their use in organic synthesis has been developed. In this volume, areas ranging from the activation of C-H bonds to the chemical transformation of dinitrogen are authoritatively discussed by leading experts in the field. To activate means to be able to cleave otherwise inert chemical bonds. The cleavage and formation of chemical bonds is fundamental to organic synthesis; these new activation methodologies make hitherto infeasible reactions extremely easy and create new opportunities for innovative organic transformations, for both industry and academia. This is the first book that provides a thorough and timely coverage of both inorganic and organic synthetic aspects of bond activation, thus giving a broad overview of the field and allowing both inorganic and organic chemists ready access to the methodologies involved.

R.A. Gossage, G. van Koten : Activation of 'Unreactive' Bonds by Metal Complexes. Introduction.- W.D. Jones: Activation of C-H Bonds. Stoichiometric Reactions.- F. Kakiuchi, S. Murai: Activation of C-H Bonds. Catalytic Reactions.- A. Sen: Catalytic Activation of Methane and Ethane by Metal Compounds.- M. Murakami, Y. Ito: Cleavage of C-C Single Bonds by Transition Metals.- M. Suginome, Y. Ito: Activation of Si-Si Bonds by Transition-Metal Complexes.- Y.-S. Lin, A. Yamamoto: Activation of C-O Bonds. Stoichiometric and Catalytic Reactions.- V.V. Grushin, H. Alper: Activation of Otherwise Unreactive C-Cl Bonds.- M. Hidai, Y. Mizobe: Activation of N-N Triple Bond in Molecular Nitrogen: Toward its Chemical Transformation into Organonitrogen Compounds.- T.G. Richmond: Activation of C-F Bonds.