An Active Cadmium-Toluene Slurry and Its Use in the Preparation of Ethyliodocadmium

AN ACTIVE CADMIUM-TOLUENE SLURRY AND ITS USE IN THE PREPARATION OF ETHYLIODOCADMIUM 

Submitted by THOMAS O. MURDOCK and KENNETH J. KLABUNDE Checked by C. KINGt and K. IRGOLIct 

Generally, smaller particles are obtained with polar, more highly solvating solvents. However, these solvents do not necessarily yield the most active metal slurries. The reactivities vary, and the metal slurries can be fine tuned somewhat for use in specific types of reactions. For example, nickel particles from pentane are very active as hydrogenation catalysts, whereas nickel particles from THF are not active as hydrogenation catalysts but are very active in alkyl halide reactions. 

In the present context, it has been found that active cadmium slurries can be employed to prepare RCdX species.3 The novelty of the present method is that (1) R2Cd is formed only in very low yield compared with RCdX, (2) the preparations can be carried out under mild conditions and (3) any type of solvent, polar or nonpolar can be used thus the RCdX species can be prepared in the nonsolvated state. 

The product may be analyzed by hydrolysis with excess 10% HC1 on a vacuum system. The ethane produced is passed through a trap held at-78° (Dry Ice), is condensed in another trap at -196° (liquid nitrogen), and finally is measured as a gas by pressure, volume, and temperature determination. 

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