Organolithium reagents, reaction with alkyl halides

Organocuprates can react with all alkyl halides except tertiary alkyl halides. Because they can react with vinylic halides and aryl halides (an aryl hahde has a hydrogen attached to a benzene ring), they can be used to prepare compounds that cannot be prepared by Sn2 reactions with Grignard reagents or organolithium compounds. (Remember that vinylic and aryl halides cannot undergo nucleophilic attack Section 9.5). 

Organocadmium compounds can be prepared from Grignard reagents or organolithium compounds by reaction with Cd(II) salts. Organocadmium compounds can also be prepared directly from alkyl, benzyl, and aryl halides by reaction with highly reactive cadmium metal generated by reduction of Cd(II) salts ... 

These compounds are sources of the nucleophilic anion RC=C and their reaction with primary alkyl halides provides an effective synthesis of alkynes (Section 9 6) The nucleophilicity of acetylide anions is also evident m their reactions with aldehydes and ketones which are entirely analogous to those of Grignard and organolithium reagents... 

Structural types for organometallic rhodium and iridium porphyrins mostly comprise five- or six-coordinate complexes (Por)M(R) or (Por)M(R)(L), where R is a (T-bonded alkyl, aryl, or other organic fragment, and Lisa neutral donor. Most examples contain rhodium, and the chemistry of the corresponding iridium porphyrins is much more scarce. The classical methods of preparation of these complexes involves either reaction of Rh(III) halides Rh(Por)X with organolithium or Grignard reagents, or reaction of Rh(I) anions [Rh(Por)] with alkyl or aryl halides. In this sense the chemistry parallels that of iron and cobalt porphyrins. 

Alkyltriphenylphosphonium halides are only weakly acidic, and a strong base must be used for deprotonation. Possibilities include organolithium reagents, the anion of dimethyl sulfoxide, and amide ion or substituted amide anions, such as LDA or NaHMDS. The ylides are not normally isolated, so the reaction is carried out either with the carbonyl compound present or with it added immediately after ylide formation. Ylides with nonpolar substituents, e.g., R = H, alkyl, aryl, are quite reactive toward both ketones and aldehydes. Ylides having an a-EWG substituent, such as alkoxycarbonyl or acyl, are less reactive and are called stabilized ylides. 

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