Organomercury reagents addition reactions

Entry 5 is an example of the use of fra-(trimethylsilyl)silane as the chain carrier. Entries 6 to 11 show additions of radicals from organomercury reagents to substituted alkenes. In general, the stereochemistry of these reactions is determined by reactant conformation and steric approach control. In Entry 9, for example, addition is from the exo face of the norbornyl ring. Entry 12 is an example of addition of an acyl radical from a selenide. These reactions are subject to competition from decarbonylation, but the relatively slow decarbonylation of aroyl radicals (see Part A, Table 11.3) favors addition in this case. 

Additional synthetic protocols are available for the preparation of research quantities of aluminum alkyls that are not commercially available by the above routes. Of these, reaction of an organomercury reagent with aliuninum metal... 

The preparation of organolithiums by reaction (a) is of limited synthetic utility because the organomercurials are prepared from other organometallic reagents, most often organomagnesium halides or organolithiums. In addition, reaction (a) is slow, although ultrasonic irradiation increases the rate. 

Dibromocarbene undergoes addition to alkenes in a stereospecific manner. The sole case of nonstereospecific dibromocyclopropanation using bromoform/base/phase-transfer catalyst concerns ( )-cyclooctene, and is explained by isomerization of this cycloalkene caused by reversible addition of tribromomethyl or ethoxide anion the latter is formed from the ethanol present in bromoform (see also ref 2 and Houben-Weyl, Vol. El 9b, p 1617 for stereomutation in the reactions of dibromocarbene, generated from organomercury reagents, with low-active alkenes, see Section 1.2.1.4.3.1.5.1. and Vol. E19b, pp 1615 1616). 

Grignard reagents are also synthesized by addition reactions of alkynes, addition reactions of unsaturated compounds having C=S groups, reactions of cycloalkanes, reactions with organolithium compounds or organomercury compounds, etc. [4,15,27,28],... 

Sometimes the reaction conditions used in this reaction are too harsh since heating is involved and rearrangement reactions can occur. A milder method that gives better results is to treat the alkene with mercuric acetate [Hg(OAc)2] then sodium borohydride. The reaction involves electrophilic addition of the mercury reagent to form an intermediate mercuronium ion. This reacts with water to give an organomercury intermediate. Reduction with sodium... 

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