Organocopper reagents catalysts

Organocopper reagents, 207 Palladium catalysts, 230 Potassium-Graphite, 252 Raney nickel, 265 Sodium acyloxyborohydrides, 277 Sodium borohydride, 278 Sodium borohydride-Nickel chloride, 279... 

Many of the copper-mediated transformations summarized in the previous sections of this chapter can also be performed efficiently with catalytic amounts of copper salts or reagents. Indeed, some of the copper-catalyzed reactions have been discovered before the development of stoichiometric organocopper reagents. The focus of the last decade has been put on new copper-catalyzed transformations (e.g., conjugate reductions) and in particular on the discovery of chiral copper catalysts for highly enantioselective 1,4-addition and S -substitution reactions of prochiral substrates. 

Organocopper reagents, such as methylcopper prepared from MeLi were also used as catalyst recently [148]. Yields could be further improved by ultrasonic irradiation [149],.as well as under phase transfer conditions [150]. It is surprising that, in contrast to the Ullmann biaryl synthesis, activated aromatic fluoro compounds (e.g. fluoro-esters, -nitrils, -aldehydes and -acetophenones) can couple with phenols in good yield. The reaction does not require any catalysts, but only K2CO3 as a base, [146] (Scheme 56). ... 

Organolithium compounds can add to a, (3-unsaturated ketones by either 1,2- or 1,4-addition. The most synthetically important version of the 1,4-addition involves organocopper intermediates, and is discussed in Chap 8. However, 1,4-addition is observed under some conditions even in the absence of copper catalysts. Highly reactive organolithium reagents usually react by 1,2-addition, but the addition of small amounts of HMPA has been found to favor 1,4-addition. This is attributed to solvation of the lithium ion, which attenuates its Lewis acid character toward the carbonyl oxygen.111... 

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