Amides alkali metal anions

A number of compounds of the types RBiY2 or R2BiY, where Y is an anionic group other than halogen, have been prepared by the reaction of a dihalo- or halobismuthine with a lithium, sodium, potassium, ammonium, silver, or lead alkoxide (120,121), amide (122,123), a2ide (124,125), carboxylate (121,126), cyanide (125,127), dithiocarbamate (128,129), mercaptide (130,131), nitrate (108), phenoxide (120), selenocyanate (125), silanolate (132), thiocyanate (125,127), or xanthate (133). Dialkyl- and diaryUialobismuthines can also be readily converted to secondary bismuthides by treatment with an alkali metal (50,105,134) ... 

The low affinity of the alkali metals for neutral P-donor ligands has hampered efforts to synthesize complexes in which there is a genuine R3P-M interaction (see Section I). However, this poor affinity may be overcome by incorporating a remote phosphine functionality into a potentially chelating anionic ligand, such as a phosphine-substituted alkoxide, amide, or aryl, and several alkali metal complexes of such ligands have been isolated. 

Electron-transfer initiation from other radical-anions, such as those formed by reaction of sodium with nonenolizable ketones, azomthines, nitriles, azo and azoxy compounds, has also been studied. In addition to radical-anions, initiation by electron transfer has been observed when one uses certain alkali metals in liquid ammonia. Polymerizations initiated by alkali metals in liquid ammonia proceed by two different mechanisms. In some systems, such as the polymerizations of styrene and methacrylonitrile by potassium, the initiation is due to amide ion formed in the system [Overberger et al., I960]. Such polymerizations are analogous to those initiated by alkali amides. Polymerization in other systems cannot be due to amide ion. Thus, polymerization of methacrylonitrile by lithium in liquid ammonia proceeds at a much faster rate than that initiated by lithium amide in liquid ammonia [Overberger et al., 1959]. The mechanism of polymerization is considered to involve the formation of a solvated electron ... 

Strong bases such as alkali metals, metal hydrides, metal amides, metal alkoxides, and organometallic compounds initiate the polymerization of a lactam by forming the lactam anion XXXIV [Hashimoto, 2000 Sebenda, 1989 Sekiguchi, 1984], for example, for e-caprolactam with a metal... 

Figure 6 shows the proposed subunit assembly structure of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor channel." The inner wall of the lower half part is surrounded by hydroxyl side chains from Ser and Thr, and by carboxylates or amides from Asp, Glu, and Gin at the mouth. Furthermore, a Lys residue seems to offer ion pairing with the carboxylate at the mouth. Considering the possibly similar stabilizing effect of ether and hydroxyl groups to cations, the proposed artificial supramolecular channel could be regarded as a good model of the acetylcholine receptor channel, which selects cations over anions, but does not discriminate between alkali metals. 

For the anionic polymerization of methacrylonitrile (MAN), many initiators have been developed, which include alkali-metal alkyls such as butyllithium [42], triphenylmethylsodium [43], phenylisopropylpotassium [43], the disodium salt of living a-methylstyrene tetramer [44], alkali-metal amides [45], alkoxides [46], and hydroxide [47], alkali metal in liquid NH3 [48], quaternary ammonium hydroxide [49], and a silyl ketene acetal coupled with nucleophilic or Lewis acidic catalysts [50]. However, only a single example of the synthesis of PMAN with narrow molecular-weight distribution can be cited, and the reported number-average molecular weights were much higher than those calculated from the stoichiometry of the butyllithium initiator [42]. 

Experimental evidence in support of this explanation is the fact that lithium added to a solution of lithium iodide in ethylenediamine dissolves without imparting a blue color to the solution—i.e., reacts immediately to give the amide. By contrast, lithium added to a solution of lithium chloride in ethylenediamine dissolves and imparts a deep blue color to the solution. The catalytic effect of iodide anion may be related to the effect of iodide anion on the electron spin resonance (ESR) absorption of solutions of alkali metals in liquid ammonia. Catterall and Symons (2) observed a drastic change in the presence of alkali iodides but very little change in the presence of alkali bromides or chlorides. They attributed this change to interaction of the solvated electron with the 6 p level of the iodide anion. 

The heterocycles react directly with alkali metals or undergo exchange reactions with, for example, sodium amide and hydride, n-butyllithium and thallium ethoxide, to form the TV-heteroaryl salts. The salts of the alkali metals exist as solvent separated ion-pairs or as contact ion-pairs (71JOC3091), as do the quaternary ammonium salts, whereas the salts of the heavier metals are generally considered to have a high N—metal covalent character. These characteristics, which can be modified by a change in the polarity of the solvent, control the reactions of the heteroaryl anions. 

If any base whose basicity exceeds the basicity of the caprolactam anion is applied, this kind of neutralization reaction results in formation of caprolactam salt, i. e. practically a metal salt of caprolactam. As far as the simultaneously formed component B-H does not interfere to the further catalytic action, especially if this compound is higly volatile and can be easily removed before having opportunity of such interference, the same result is obtained no matter what sort of base was used. Thus, extremely strong bases as alkali metals (7, 15, 18—22, 31, 42, 43, 46, 47, 49—51, 58, 71, 72, 100, 101), other strongly elektropositive metals (42), metal hydrides (12,31, 32, 51, 52) or metal amides react in a smooth way according the above scheme. The same result i. e. the formation of a caprolactam salt is obtained starting with relatively weak bases as alkali hydroxides (1, 5, 6, 10, 12, 13, 16—19, 28, 29, 33—35, 37—41,44, 45, 51, 54, 60, 64, 70—72, 78, 79, 100, 102) or alcoxides (9, 45), leading to an equilibrium... 

Solvent stabilization can often determine the initial steps of ion radical generation. Hence, alkali metal hydroxides are highly stabilized in water and in aqueous solvents, and therefore their reactivities in simple one-electron processes are either very low or practically nonexistent. Nevertheless, polar solvents, such as DMSO, hexamethylphosphotri-amide (HMPA), and THF, in which alkali metal hydroxides are at least somewhat soluble, particularly in the presence of water, diminish drastically the HO solvation (Popovich Tomkins 1981). As a result, reactions of one-electron transfer from the hydroxy anion to the substrate can take place (Ballester Pascual 1991). 

Holton, D.M., Edwards, RR 1984. Electrons, alkali metal-electron species, and radical anions in substituted organic amides. J. Phys. Chem. 88 3855-3859. 

Efficient methods for the preparation of pentadienyl compounds of the alkali metals have now been developed. Treatment of 1,4-dienes with butyllithium in the presence of tetrahydrofuran (thf) at —78° yields deep orange solutions which contain pentadienyllithiums (36,37). Any excess butyllithium may be destroyed by its reaction with thf by allowing the mixture to warm up briefly to room temperature (38). Similar results are obtained using potassium amide in liquid ammonia (39). 1,3-Dienes, however, do not yield pentadienyl anions under these conditions, unless the diene is conjugated with a phenyl (40), vinyl (41), trimethylsilyl (48), or similar stabilizing group. Unfortunately, 1,4-dienes are not very readily accessible. However, 1,3- as well as 1,4-dienes can be metallated using a 1 1 mixture of butyllithium and potassium tm-butoxide (49). Trimethylsilylmethylpotassium is also effective (44). 

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