1: The Standard Collection
Although Organometallic Chemistry is a subject that is routinely taught in universities, there is a dearth of sources for problems to assign to classes (or for students who want extra practice). Although more than 15 years old, Kegley and Pinhas's book (designed to be used in parallel with Collman & Hegedus, but which can be used independently) is still the standard source of problems. The problems, mostly taken from the literature, are well thought out, and the answers very well written, and thus the book remains a valuable resource for teachers and students. There are a couple of things of which a prospective buyer should be aware. First, Kegley and Pinhas take a very mechanistic approach, so the ratio of "derive the rate constant" to "what is the structure of the product" questions is more skewed toward the former than is likely to be usual in a typical class in organometallic chemistry. The other, not too surprising given the age of the book, is that it is in some ways out of date: there is, of course, no coverage of topics of recent interest, and probably less emphasis on modern instrumental techniques than would be found in a typical course nowadays. Even with these provisos, and despite its age, this book is the best of what there is available, and as such, should be on the shelf of anyone who teaches or is studying organometallic chemistry.
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