Alkene functionality can be found in the majority of natural products, drugs, catalysts and organic materials. Therefore, methods of C-C double bond formation constitute a cornerstone of organic synthesis. Selective formation of either (Z)- or (E)-isomer is especially desirable. 1,2-Addition to alkynes unites a large arsenal of methods of C-C double bond formation, among which the addition of carbon-centered species is the most interesting, since it offers a possibility of construction of the carbon skeleton. The first part of the present dissertation is devoted to the development of methods of selective addition of carbon reagents to alkynes. Chapter 1 reviews the existing methods of addition of carbon-centered species, generated from organometallic reagents, organic halides or carbonyl compounds to C-C triple bond with the accent on their stereoselectivity. Carbometalative mechanisms lay in the background of the majority of the reactions in this chemistry. The Z/E selectivity of 1,2-addition to triple bond can be controlled via predominance of either syn- or anti-addition or via Z/E isomerization of the addition intermediates. In Chapter 2 a novel method of disubstituted alkene synthesis via reductive addition of alkyl halides to terminal arylalkynes is described. The remarkable feature of this method is highly selective formation of (Z)-alkenes (generally Z/E > 10:1). Minor modifications of the reducing agent allowed the extension of the substrate scope to the primary alkyl iodides. Mechanistic studies revealed that this reaction proceeds as a formal anti-carbozincation. The resulting organozinc species form disubstituted (Z)-alkenes upon aqueous work-up. On the other hand, it would be interesting to utilize these species in cross-coupling reactions to allow the selective synthesis of trisubstituted alkenes. In Chapter 3 a catalytic system for highly regioselective copper-catalyzed allylation of these reagents is described. In Chapter 4 the results on stereoselective intermolecular addition of aldehydes and ketones to alkynes in the presence of zinc and trimethylchlorosilane are summarized. This reaction gives 1-chloro-1,3-dienes as products. The activation of small molecules has become an increasingly attractive area of research over the last years. In Chapter 5 an outline is given of the literature examples of small-molecule activation, namely activation of carbon dioxide and hydrogen peroxide, by iron complexes. In Chapter 6 the studies on small-molecule activation by iron-sulfur cubane clusters are presented. Electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide and hydrogenation of alkenes were studied. As an additional result, synthesis and characterization of an unprecedented organic iron(I) ate-complex is reported. Structural modification of a non-heme iron complex with hydrogen-bond-donating substituents is described in Chapter 7. The deep impact of these modifications on the structure and reactivity of the resulting complex is discussed.