Carboxylic acid chlorides organocuprate reagents

The reaction of tert-alkyl Grignard reagents with carboxylic acid chlorides in the presence of a copper catalyst provides ieri-alkyl ketones in substantially lower yields than those reported here.4,14 The simplicity and mildness of experimental conditions and isolation procedure, the diversity of substrate structural type, and the functional group selectivity of these mixed organocuprate reagents render them very useful for conversion of carboxylic acid chlorides to the corresponding secondary and tertiary alkyl ketones.15... 

To form a ketone fiom a carboxylic acid derivative, a less reactive organometallic reagent— namely an organocuprate—is needed. Acid chlorides, which have the hest leavii group (CO of the carboxylic acid derivatives, react with R 2CuLi, to give a ketone as product. 

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