Polyfunctional Zinc, Cobalt and Iron Organometallics Prepared by Electrosynthesis

Polyfunctional Zinc, Cobalt and Iron Organometallics Prepared by Electrosynthesis 

The electroreduction of polyfunctional substrates (FG)3CX, with X= halogen or pseudohalogen and FG = functional group, may be an attractive route to generate carbanionic species (FG)3C according to  

This carbanionic species is associated to a metal cation either initially present in the medium as a dissociated salt (a supporting electrolyte) usually a quaternary ammonium salt or simultaneously electrogenerated from an easily oxidable metal used as the anode, e.g. Mg or A1 (Eq. (2)). This method has been called the sacrificial anode process. 

The derived ions Mg or Af, which are reduced at low potentials, do not interfere with the reduction process and ensure a good conductivity of the medium. 

In many cases, organometallic intermediates formed by this method are poorly stable. They react with classical organic solvents used in electrochemistry (dimethyl-formamide, acetonitrile, N-methylpyrrolidinone, etc.). However, they can also react more rapidly with some electrophiles present in the medium, leading to interesting C-C bond-forming reactions. 

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