Benzylic diorganozinc

Monoaddition of f-Bu2Zn to styrene occurred if the reaction was conducted at 15 °C and led to the benzylic diorganozinc species 13 (equation 6)16. At higher temperatures, addition proceeded further and led to higher homologs as well as to polystyrene after demetallation. 

The reactions of a benzylzinc chloride TMEDA adduct with either benzyllithium or benzyl(trimethylsilyl)lithium TMEDA adduct yielded both homoleptic dibenzylzinc (37, Figure 16) and heteroleptic monobenzylzinc compounds as TMEDA adducts. The heteroleptic diorganozinc compounds do not disproportionate as long as TMEDA is present, but removal of the chelating nitrogen ligand in the gas phase does cause disproportionation. 

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