Alkali metal complexes synthesis

The work of Hyatt on cyclotriveratrylene—derived octopus molecules contrasts with this. Of course, these species have the advantage of ligand directionality absent in the benzene-derived octopus molecules. Except for the shortest-armed of the species (i.e., n = 1), all of the complexing agents (i.e., n = 2—4) were capable of complexing alkali metal cations. Synthesis of these species was accomplished as indicated below in Eq. (7.7). These variations of the original octopus molecules were also shown to catalyze the reaction between benzyl chloride and potassium acetate in acetonitrile solution and to effect the Wittig reaction between benzaldehyde and benzyltriphenylphos-phonium chloride. 

Beryllates, tetrachloro-alkali metal complexes, 3,10 Beryllium analysis, 1, 523 gravimetry, 1, 529 Beryllium, alkylalkoxy synthesis, 2, 340... 

In comparison to alkali metal complexes of (di)organophosphide ligands, complexes of these metals with (di)organoarsenide ligands are relatively rare and few have been structurally characterized. This dearth of structural information is perhaps due in part to the relatively low importance of such complexes in inorganic and organic synthesis and to the lower stability (both thermal and photolytic) of arsenide complexes compared to their phosphide analogues. 

The growing demand for efficient chemical transformations and catalysts has inspired a few research groups in recent years to develop rare earth metal catalysts for organic synthesis [1, 2]. Triflates of rare earth metals are strong Lewis acids, which are stable in aqueous solution. Rare earth metal alkoxides on the other hand are of interest as Lewis bases, e.g. in the catalysis of carbonyl reactions, because of the low ionization potentials (5.4-6.4 eV) and electronegativities (1.1-1.3) of the 17 rare earth elements. Rare earth metal-alkali metal complexes in contrast show both Brpnsted-basic and Lewis-acidic properties. Impressive applications of such catalysts are presented and discussed here. 

Bifunctional Initiation. The bifunctional initiators like alkali metal complexes of polycyclic aromatic compounds can be used to produce ABA triblock copolymers even when the A anion is not sufficiently basic to initiate polymerization of B monomers. In these cases polymerization would be started with monomer B to produce a polymeric dianion which could initiate polymerization of the A monomer which is added later. These initiators can be prepared only in aliphatic ethers, however. This precludes their use for the synthesis of useful styrene-diene ABA copolymers because polydienes made anionically in such solvents have low 1,4 contents and are not good rubbers. 

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