Carbanions aggregation

A motif found in the majority of alkali metal stabilized carbanion crystal structures is a nearly planar four-membered ring (13) with two metal atoms (M ) and two anions (A ), i.e. dimer. This simple pattern is rarely observed unadorned as in (13), yet almost every alkali metal and alkaline earth carbanion aggregate can be built up from this basic unit The simplest possible embellishment to (13) is addition of two substituents (S) which produces a planar aggregate (14). Typically the substituents (S) in (14) are solvent molecules with heteroatoms that serve to donate a lone pair of electrons to the metal (M). Only slightly more complex than (14) is the four coordinate metal dimer (15). Often the substiments (S) in (15) are joined by a linear chain. The most common of these chains are tetramethylethylenediamine (TMEDA) or dimethoxyethane (DME) so that the spirocyclic structure (16) ensues. Alternatively the donors (S) in (16) have been observed as halide anions (X ) when the metal (M ) is a divalent cation, e.g. (17) or (18). Obviously, the chelate rings found in (16) are entropically favorable relative to monodentate donors (S) in (14), (15), (17) or (18) (Scheme 2). 

Methyl group (Section 2 7) The group —CH3 Mevalonic acid (Section 26 10) An intermediate in the biosyn thesis of steroids from acetyl coenzyme A Micelle (Section 19 5) A sphencal aggregate of species such as carboxylate salts of fatty acids that contain a lipophilic end and a hydrophilic end Micelles containing 50-100 car boxylate salts of fatty acids are soaps Michael addition (Sections 18 13 and 21 9) The conjugate ad dition of a carbanion (usually an enolate) to an a 3 unsatu rated carbonyl compound... 

The solid-state structures of several benzylic carbanion salts have been elucidated by X-ray analysis9 depending on the nature of the benzylic part, the cation, and the additives, the structures range from er-bonded organometallic compounds to delocalized ion pairs, from monomeric to dimeric and polymeric aggregates. Some compounds are listed together with leading references ... 

It is important to keep the position of the equilibria in mind as we consider reactions of carbanions. The base and solvent used determine the extent of deprotonation. Another important physical characteristic that has to be kept in mind is the degree of aggregation of the carbanion. Both the solvent and the cation influence the state of aggregation. This topic is discussed further in Section 1.1.3. 

Flavins and their analogues (vitamin B2 family) bound to a cationic hydrophobic aggregate serve as efficient oxidizing agents for carbanions and thiols (see Section 7). 

The independence of CH- carbon acidities from the solvent can be attributed to the fact that only highly delocalized carbanions have been considered. When aggregation or specific solvent ion-pairing effects are operative, deviations from this behaviour are expected. 

One of the most efficient structure building principles in lithium organic chemistry is the Lis triangle /zs-capped by a carbanionic Ca atom. This structural motif can further be aggregated to build deltahedral metal cores. The Li4 tetrahedron is found in various lithium organic tetramers while the Lie octahedron is present in many hexamers (Figure 4). 

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) has proven to be a very powerful technique for probing the structures of carbanions in the condensed phase. In particular, much work has been completed on the ion-pairing behavior of carbanions with lithium cations as well as the formation of aggregates of these lithium salts. A full discussion of this topic, particularly the methodology, is beyond the scope of this chapter, but a brief overview is appropriate. 

Carbanionic active centers are non aggregated and sp-5 hybrid-izated. Isoregulation is ascribed to a most probable position for the complexation of active centers by the monomer molecules ... 

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