The formation of carbon-heteroatom bonds is core to many catalytic processes.  Such bonds are often formed through reactions across a carbon-carbon or carbon-oxygen double bond.  The reaction proceeds through the reactivity of an anionic species containing the heteroatom.

 
Alternative routes to carbon-heteroatom bonds which proceed via metal-heteroatom intermediates offer several advantages over the anionic method mentioned above.  Using transition metals to catalyse the reaction requires less severe reaction conditions and can be done under neutral or near neutral conditions similar to those found in biological systems.     
 

In his Dalton Transactions Perspective article, David Glueck, Dartmouth College, NH, USA, presents an overview and examples of carbon-heteroatom bond formation in both biological and synthetic systems, all catalysed by transition metals.  He shows how a fundamental understanding of the nature of the metal-heteroatom bond, using theoretical considerations, can be used to rationalise the relationship between the electronic structure and the reactivity.  This relationship provides promise for future development of catalysts. 'Tuning reactivity with appropriate choices of metals, ligands and substrates may be used to develop more active and selective catalysts,' says Glueck.

Intermediates in carbon-heteroatom bond formation