An organometallic compound is partially characterized by the presence of one or more metal-carbon bonds, in which the carbon involved would, apart from the metal-carbon bond, be otherwise considered a part of an organic compound.

Some organometallic compounds derived from electropositive elements, such as Grignard reagents and organolithiums, have a high electron density on the carbon. This makes the carbon highly nucleophilic. These compounds are widely used in organic chemistry for carbon-carbon bond forming reactions. With less electropositive elements such as many transition metals, a wide variety of reactivity is observed.

In certain organometallic compounds such as ferrocene or dibenzenechromium, the pi-orbitals of the organic moiety ligate the metal.

See also inorganic chemistry and organometallic chemistry.

Organometallic chemistry

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