Homogeneous catalysis is an important strategy for the synthesis of high-valued chemicals. L. Brandsma has carefully selected and checked the experimental procedures illustrating the catalytic use of copper, nickel, and palladium compounds in organic synthesis. All procedures are on a preparative scale, make economic use of solvents and catalysts, avoid toxic substances and have high yields.

Preparative Polar Organometallic Chemistry is a collection of laboratory procedures for the synthesis and functionalization of organoalkali and Grignard compounds. The second volume with methods for generation and transformation of compounds bearing the metal at an sp3 carbon complements the first in which the metal was bound to an sp2 carbon atom in the reagent. Synthetically important intermediates such as metallated S, S-acetales, imines, nitriles, isonitriles and ketones are illustrated. All procedures have been worked out in full detail and tested in the author's own laboratory. Both books are intended to be practical bench-top laboratory manuals for working organic chemists, from the student to the advanced scientist.