Halides, alkyl, reaction with cuprates

The most frequently used organocuprates are those m which the alkyl group is pri mary Steric hindrance makes secondary and tertiary dialkylcuprates less reactive and they tend to decompose before they react with the alkyl halide The reaction of cuprate reagents with alkyl halides follows the usual 8 2 order CH3 > primary > secondary > tertiary and I > Br > Cl > F p Toluenesulfonates are somewhat more reactive than halides Because the alkyl halide and dialkylcuprate reagent should both be primary m order to produce satisfactory yields of coupled products the reaction is limited to the formation of RCH2—CH2R and RCH2—CH3 bonds m alkanes... 

This reaction illustrates a stereoselective preparation of (Z)-vinylic cuprates, which are very useful synthetic intermediates. They react with a variety of electrophiles such as carbon dioxide, epoxides, aldehydes, allylic halides, alkyl halides, and acetylenic halides they undergo... 

The procedure described here illustrates the preparation of mixed lithium arylhetero(alkyl)cuprate reagents and their reactions with carboxylic acid chlorides,4 These mixed cuprate reagents also react with a,a -dibromoketones,12 primary alkyl halides,4 and a,/3-unsaturated ketones,4 with selective transfer of only the alkyl group. 

Alkylation reactions reveal a mechanistic aspect of the cuprate reactions different from that of addition reactions. Theoretical analyses of reactions of alkyl halides (Mel and MeBr) [123, 124] and epoxides (ethylene oxide and cyclohexene oxide) [124] with lithium cuprate clusters (Me2CuLi dimer or Me2CuLi-LiCl, Scheme 10.11) resolved long-standing questions on the mechanism of the alkylation reaction. Density functional calculations showed that the rate-determining step of the... 

Alternatively alkyl halides undergo coupling reactions with lithium organ-ocuprates (which are prepared from alkyl halides) to give alkanes by carbon-carbon bond formation. Other metals can be used to promote the same kind of coupling, but die use of cuprates is the most efficient and general. 

Although lower-order cuprate reagents will often engage in displacement reactions with alkyl halides, such reactions are usually slow. They are generally much less facile than 1,4-addition reactions to a,P-unsaturated enones or enoates. The latter processes are particularly facile when trimethylsilyl chloride is employed as an additive. It was Corey and Boaz10 who first recognised the accelerating effect of trimethylsilyl chloride on cuprate addition reactions to a,p-unsaturated carbonyls. Buszek therefore capitalised on Corey s earlier observations in his reaction of 10 with lithium dimethylcuprate to obtain 15. 

The tosylate group can be displaced from alkyl tosylates by dialkyl-cuprates 256, 297, 301), presumably by attack at carbon by the d electrons of copper. A transient copper(III) intermediate may be formed [Eq. (87)], as suggested for similar reactions with alkyl halides. An analogous reaction was reported between a copper(I) carboxylate and an alkyl tosylate 185). (Carboxyethyl)methylcopper, C2H5O2CCH2CU, failed to react with butyl tosylate in THF 181). However, copper compounds of the type RCu are generally less reactive than the cuprates. 

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