E.O. Fischer received the Nobel prize in 1973 for the investigations of complexes with a formal metal atom-carbon double bond. Among these, the iron-carbene species is readily available and has proved to be a versatile reagent in organic syntheses. It is rather simple to tune the electronic properties of this Fischer Carbene and to control reactivity and stereospecificity of the reagent in cyclopropanation reactions. This first volume of the series addresses graduate students in the fields of co-ordination compounds and organic synthesis. It covers the chemistry and structural aspects of iron-carbon compounds with an iron-carbon double bond. The first part deals with the carbene moiety, the second with vinylidene ligands.
