Alkyl cuprates

SECONDARY AND TERTIARY ALKYL KETONES FROM CARBOXYLIC ACID CHLORIDES AND LITHIUM PHENYLTHIO(ALKYL)CUPRATE REAGENTS tert-BUTYL PHENYL KETONE... 

The procedure described here illustrates the preparation of mixed lithium arylhetero(alkyl)cuprate reagents and their reactions with carboxylic acid chlorides,4 These mixed cuprate reagents also react with a,a -dibromoketones,12 primary alkyl halides,4 and a,/3-unsaturated ketones,4 with selective transfer of only the alkyl group. 

For use of other organocopper reagents in converting carboxylic acid chlorides to ketones, see G. H. Posner and C. E. Whitten, Tetrahedron Lett., 1815 (1973) G. H. Posner, C. E. Whitten, and P. E. McFarland, J. Amer. Chem. Soc., 94, 5106 (1972). For a recent report on direct and convenient preparation of lithium phenylthio (alkyl)-cuprate reagents, see G H Posner, D J Brunelle, and L. Sinoway, Synthesis, 662 (1974). 

Lithium, methyl, 55,7, 10 Lithium, phenyl-, 55,11 Lithium phenylthio(alkyl)cuprates, 55,122 LITHIUM, phenyltluo(fe/f-butyl)cuprate [Lithium, phenylthio( 1,1 -dimethyl-ethyl)cupiate, 55,122 Lithium, 1-propenyl-, 55, 111 LITHIUM, ( >l-propenyl-, 55, 103 Lithium thiophenoxide [Ben7enethiol, lithium salt], 55, 122... 

Heterometallic alkali metal phosphide complexes with transition metals have also been reported. The complex [(Cy2P)3Hf(ju.-PCy2)2Li (DME)] results from the reaction of LiPCy2 with HfCl4(THF) (98). This complex persists in solution. Jones et al. have reported the synthesis and reactivity toward a range of electrophiles of a series of lithium di-t-butylphosphido(alkyl)cuprates [RCu(PBu2)Li] (R = Me,... 

Bun, Bus, Bu1) (99). The complex with R = Me crystallizes as the THF solvate [MeCu(PBu2)Li(THF)3] in which the phosphide ligand bridges the two-coordinate Cu and four-coordinate Li centers. These cuprates were found to be more thermally stable than other phosphido(alkyl)-cuprates but less reactive toward electrophiles than related cyanocu-prates. 

High levels of asymmetric induction can be achieved intramolecularly if the substrate functionality and the heteroatom ligand are contained in the same molecule. Chiral amido(a]kyl)cuprates derived from allylic carbamates [(RCH= CHCH20C(0)NR )CuR undergo intramolecular allylic rearrangements with excellent enantioselectivities (R = Me, n-Bu, Ph 82-95% ee) [216]. Similarly, chiral alkoxy(alkyl)cuprates (R OCuRLi) derived from enoates prepared from the unsaturated acids and trans-l,2-cyclohexanediol undergo intramolecular conjugate additions with excellent diasteroselectivities (90% ds) [217]. 

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