Chemistry of metallasiloxanes. Current trends and new concepts

The current status of the chemistry of metallasiloxanes is surveyed. Synthetic methods affording the metallasiloxane fragments and specific transformations of metallasiloxanes governed by the coordination properties of the metal site are analysed. The emphasis is placed onto the formation of compounds with the metallasiloxane fragments and rearrangements of these fragments. Principles of the design of catalytic systems based on metallasiloxanes, in particular, containing low-coordinated metal sites, are generalised.