Photochemistry of Transition Metal Complexes

There is increasing interest in understanding the photoinduced decay channels of simple organometallic complexes, in particular those of metal carbonyls. These complexes are noted for their high photochemical instability since the energy of an absorbed photon in the near uv or uv is sufficient to break several of the weak metal-ligand bonds. Possible applications are therefore wide spread, ranging from the favourable production of free atoms and atomic clusters, their utility as convenient model systems in photocatalysis, to their advantageous properties for laser induced metal deposition.