Organometallic chemistry

"Organometallic chemists try to understand how organic molecules or groups interact with compounds of the inorganic elements, chiefly metals. These elements can be divided into the main group, consisting of the s and p blocks of the periodic table, and the transition elements of the d and f blocks."

"Metals, particularly lithium and magnesium, act on haloalkanes to generate new compounds, called organometallic reagents, in which a carbon atom of an organic group is bound to a metal. These species are strong bases and good nucleophiles and as such are extremely useful in organic syntheses."