Rhenium-oxo and rhenium-peroxo complexes in catalytic oxidations

Rhenium oxo complexes have been known for about 70 years. However, until re cently they and their organometallic derivatives have been widely regarded as curiosities. The situation has changed drastically since the successful high yield synthesis of methyltrioxorhenium(VII) (usually abbreviated as MT O) in the late 1980s and its bisperoxo complex about 5 years later. Since t hen numerous applications of MTO and other related rhenium oxo and peroxo c omplexes have been found, most notably in oxidation catalysis. A comprehens ive review of the most important rhenium oxo and peroxo complexes and their applications in oxidation catalysis is presented here.