In organic synthetic reactions the scope and applications of organosulfur
and organoselenium chemistry have increased tremendously. As explained
recently by Zwanenburg and Klunder, “There are numerous cases, for
example in modern organic chemistry, in which sulfur-containing groups
serve an important auxiliary function in synthetic sequences. Illustrative
examples are the reversal of polarity (Umpolung), enhancement of
the acidity of C-H bonds and the transfer of chirality from sulfur to carbon”
(1). In contrast with many other fields in chemistry, organosulfur
complex chemistry has not yet had the stimulus of industrial applications,
and interest in the field stems mainly from the curiosity of chemists.
This article systematizes the formation and transformation reactions of
free and coordinated organosulfur and -selenium complexes in the coordination
sphere of metals and shows that transition metals increase
the variety of reactions undergone by organosulfur compounds significantly.