Metal complexes play important roles as catalysts or other participants in synthetic and biological reactions. Substrates and sometimes attacking reagents also are activated through coordination with metal atoms or ions. In these events the natures not only of the central metals but also of ancillary ligands exert important influences on the stability and reactivity of the coordinated substrates. A ligand in general can adopt various coordination modes depending on its chemical environment, thus functioning as a probe. The number of coordination modes increases with increasing complexity of the ligand. In this book it is shown that even the simplest mono- and diatomic ligands such as H, CO, and N2 exhibit a variety of coordination modes, which are related to their reactions. The thiocyanate anion is taken up as a representative of the triatomic ambidentate ligands, and factors influencing the preferences for N- und S-bonding are summarized. Coordination chemistry of ß-dicarbonyl compounds is a highlight of this book. Acetylacetone, one of the most familiar Werner ligands, is shown to favor -carbon and n-allylic bonding in many instances. Its versatile behaviour in changing coordination modes is revealed.
