Copper, alkyl-magnesium reagent

Two useful syntheses of fatty acids have appeared. Coupling of the chloro-magnesium salts of w-bromoacids with alkyl Grignard reagents via an organo-copper(i) ate complex is shownto be most effective for longer chain acids (e.g. palmitic acid in 94% yield), whereas an efficient route to o -methyl labelled fatty acids proceeds via methyl cadmium chloride (Scheme 5). 

Alkynyl anions are more stable = 22) than the more saturated alkyl or alkenyl anions (p/Tj = 40-45). They may be obtained directly from terminal acetylenes by treatment with strong base, e.g. sodium amide (pA, of NH 35). Frequently magnesium acetylides are made in proton-metal exchange reactions with more reactive Grignard reagents. Copper and mercury acetylides are formed directly from the corresponding metal acetates and acetylenes under neutral conditions (G.E. Coates, 1977 R.P. Houghton, 1979). 

Bromofurans give Grignard reagents when attacked by copper-magnesium in tetrahydrofuran but, while the products can be alkylated, etc., in the expected way, no clear advantage has emerged.225... 

Similarly to the alkyl derivatives, the most common route for arylcopper compounds is the reaction of a copper halide and aryllithium compounds (Equation (4)). Organocuprates with aryl groups are obtained by using an appropriate excess of the lithium reagent. Magnesium aryls have also been employed in transmetallation reactions with Cu(l) salts to yield both arylcopper compounds and arylcuprates (Equations (5) and (6)). 

As well as alkenylstannanes [106-108], other classes such as a-heteroatom-substituted alkyltributylstannanes [109] and, more importantly, allylic stannanes [110, 111] also undergo these Sn-Cu transmetalations. Otherwise difficult to prepare, allylic copper reagents may, however, be obtained by treatment of allylic stannanes (produced in turn from organolithium, magnesium, or zinc organometallics) with Me2CuLi LiCN. They enter into cross-coupling reactions with alkyl bromides [110] or vinyl triflates (Scheme 2.52) [111]. 

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