Metals, activated reactivity with alkyl halides

Direct Reaction of Zn with Alkyl Halides. The direct insertion see Insertion) reaction of Zn metal into alkyl halides - alkyl iodides being the ideal snbstrates - is a nseful reaction to prepare simple or polyfunctional organozinc halide compounds (equation 1). With primary alkyl iodides, the reaction requires an excess of Zn dnst (ca. 3 eqniv), previonsly treated with few mol % of 1,2-dibromoethane and TMSCl, and a temperature of 40 °C in THF. In these conditions, secondary alkyl iodides react at room temperatnre and benzylic and allylic bromides at 0 °C. The insertion see Insertion) into less activated C-X bonds may reqnire more reactive forms of zinc (Riecke zinc), higher temperatures, or the use of polar see Polar Compounds) solvent or cosolvent. 

For metals, the nature of the active metal surface determines its reactivity, as do both surface cleanness and metal particle size (4,9-11). Finely divided metals, with their correspondingly larger surface areas, show markedly greater reactivity towards alkyl halides than do corresponding bulk metals (20). Sono-chemical treatment of metal surfaces removes impurities and renders such surfaces correspondingly more reactive (21). Various other factors about metal surfaces that affect their adsorption of organic molecules are discussed in a book by Albert and Yates (22). 

Generally, smaller particles are obtained with polar, more highly solvating solvents. However, these solvents do not necessarily yield the most active metal slurries. The reactivities vary, and the metal slurries can be fine tuned somewhat for use in specific types of reactions. For example, nickel particles from pentane are very active as hydrogenation catalysts, whereas nickel particles from THF are not active as hydrogenation catalysts but are very active in alkyl halide reactions. 

Organometallic compounds which contain a carbon-metal bond are the most reactive carbon nucleophiles. In most cases they are also powerful bases and must be prepared and used under strictly anhydrous and aprotic conditions. A very common way to produce organometallic compounds is to reduce alkyl halides with active metals. Grignard reagents and organolithium compounds are routinely produced in this manner. The transformation is a two-electron reduction of the alkyl halide to a carbanion equivalent the metal is oxidized. 

Early preparations of active zinc utilized the potassium or sodium metal reduction of anhydrous zinc salts in refluxing THF or DME (Protocol l).3,8 These highly divided zinc powders displayed high reactivity towards organic halides in oxidative addition. Alkyl iodides and bromides reacted with the zinc powders at room temperature. Even aryl bromides and iodides would react to form the corresponding arylzinc iodides or bromides at refluxing... 

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