Alkane from Grignard reagents

Hydroperoxides have been obtained from the autoxidation of alkanes, aralkanes, alkenes, ketones, enols, hydrazones, aromatic amines, amides, ethers, acetals, alcohols, and organomineral compounds, eg, Grignard reagents (10,45). In autoxidations involving hydrazones, double-bond migration occurs with the formation of hydroperoxy—azo compounds via free-radical chain processes (10,59) (eq. 20). 

The carbanion equivalent from a Grignard reagent is also a strong base. pATa values for alkanes are typically about 50, and for aromatics about 44. Not surprisingly, a Grignard reagent reacts readily with... 

Alkanes can also be prepared from alkyl halides by reduction, directly with Zn and acetic acid (AcOH) (see Section 5.7.14) or via the Grignard reagent formation followed by hydrolytic work-up (see Section 5.7.15). The coupling reaction of alkyl halides with Gilman reagent (R 2CuLi, lithium organocuprates) also produces alkanes (see Section 5.5.2). 

Considering the problem retrosynthetically, we can see that a key intermediate having the carbon skeleton of the desired product is 3-methyl-3-pentanol. This becomes apparent from the fact that alkanes may be prepared from alkenes, which in turn are available from alcohols. The desired alcohol may be prepared from reaction of an acetate ester with a Grignard reagent, ethylmagnesium bromide. 

Alkanes, RH (Sec. 7.7) (Sec. 10.7) (Sec. 10.8) (Sec. 19.9) from alkenes by catalytic hydrogenation from alkyl halides by protonolysis of Grignard reagents from alkyl halides by coupling with Gilman reagents from ketones and aldehydes by Wolff-Kishner reaction... 

Because organolithium and Grignard reagents are themselves prepared from alkyl halides, a two-step method converts an alkyl halide into an alkane (or another hydrocarbon). 

Typically, attempts to synthesize 1,2-di-Grignard reagents from 1,2-dihaloalkanes fail, because metal halide elimination after insertion of the first magnesium atom is faster than formation of a second magnesium-carbon bond. The only l,2-di(halomagnesio)alkane [16] synthesized in the classic fashion is a l,2-di(bromomagnesio)cyclopropane 22 [Eq. 

Dimetallacycloalkanes have been prepared by reacting l,n-di(bromomagnesio)aIkanes (n > 3) with di(halometalla)alkanes, which also have been derived from di-Grignard reagents. Scheme 1 outlines the synthetic methodology for digermacycloalkanes 88 used by... 

An alkyllithium, RLi, is prepared from an alkyl halide, RX, in much the same way as a Grignard reagent. To it is added cuprous halide, CuX, and then, finally, the second alkyl halide, R X. Ultimately, the alkane is synthesized from the two alkyl halides, RX and R X. 

Alcohols react with HX to form alkyl halides, but the reaction works well only for tertiary alcohols, R,COH. Primaiy and secondary alkyl halides are normally prepared from alcohols using either SOClj or PBr ). Alkyl halides react with magnesium in ether solution to form organomagnesium halides, or Grignard ret ents (RM O- Since Grignard reagents are both nucleophilic and basic, they react with acids to yield hydrocarbons. The overall result of Grignard formation and protonation is the conversion of an alkyl halide into an alkane (RX— RM RH). 

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