Reduction potassium metal

Mine Safety AppHances Company, USA (MSA) developed a reduction process usiag sodium and KCl to produce potassium metal ia the 1950s (4) ... 

Reduction/Reaction with Hydrogen. Tetraduorosilane reacts with hydrogen only above 2000°C. Tetrachlorosilane can be reduced by hydrogen at 1200°C. Tetraio do silane can be reduced to sihcon at 1000°C (165). Reduction of tetraduorosilane with potassium metal to sihcon was the first method used to prepare sihcon (see Silicon and silicon alloys). The reduction of sihcon tetrachloride by ziac metal led to the first semiconductor-grade sihcon (166,167). 

Direct Reduction with Metals. PoUucite can be directly reduced by heating the ore in the presence of calcium to 950°C in a vacuum (20), or in the presence of either sodium or potassium to 750°C in an inert atmosphere (21). Extraction is not complete. Excessive amounts of the reducing metal is required and the resultant cesium metal is impure except when extensive distiUation purification is carried out. Engineering difficulties in this process are significant, hence, this method is not commerciaUy used. 

On treatment with potassium metal, cij-bicyclo[6.1.0]nona-2,4,6-triene gives a mono-cyclic dianion. The trams isomer under similar conditions gives only a bicyclic monoanion (radical anion). Explain how the stereochemistry of the ring junction can control the course of these reductions. 

Kyba and eoworkers prepared the similar, but not identical compound, 26, using quite a different approach. In this synthesis, pentaphenylcyclopentaphosphine (22) is converted into benzotriphosphole (23) by reduction with potassium metal in THF, followed by treatment with o "t/20-dichlorobenzene. Lithium aluminum hydride reduction of 23 affords l,2-i>/s(phenylphosphino)benzene, 24. The secondary phosphine may be deprotonated with n-butyllithium and alkylated with 3-chlorobromopropane. The twoarmed bis-phosphine (25) which results may be treated with the dianion of 24 at high dilution to yield macrocycle 26. The overall yield of 26 is about 4%. The synthetic approach is illustrated in Eq. (6.16), below. 

Studies of reductions with metal hydndes have concentrated on improvements in selectivity or conditions Replacement of the usual lithium aluminum hydnde-ether combination with potassium borohydride-methanol results m high yields of alcohol from ester [76] and less hazard [77] (equation 62) Reduction of a... 

Rossi and Bunnett64 studied the chemical reductive cleavage of diphenyl sulfoxide, diphenyl sulfone and methyl phenyl sulfone under the action of potassium metal in liquid ammonia in the presence of acetone. The enolate ion is used to trap phenyl radicals formed eventually during the process, in order to determine whether one or two electrons are required for the mechanism of cleavage (Scheme 7). In all the runs, phenyl anion is... 

Lamellar compounds, arising from the attack of moderately strong reductants (such as potassium metal) or oxidants (such as AsFs)... 

An unusual reaction is used to form a KRe 4 HjO. The reduction of potassium perrhenate in en-H20 solutions by potassium metal yields a white solid containing the Rh ion mixed with KOH. Extraction with isopropyl alcohol gives a colloidal brown liquid containing a mixture of KOH, isopropyl alcohol and the rhenidc. Fractional extraction of the liquid gives a gray solid that contains 5.5-60% KRe 4 HjO... 

In this section primarily reductions of aldehydes, ketones, and esters with sodium, lithium, and potassium in the presence of TCS 14 are discussed closely related reductions with metals such as Zn, Mg, Mn, Sm, Ti, etc., in the presence of TCS 14 are described in Section 13.2. Treatment of ethyl isobutyrate with sodium in the presence of TCS 14 in toluene affords the O-silylated Riihlmann-acyloin-condensation product 1915, which can be readily desilylated to the free acyloin 1916 [119]. Further reactions of methyl or ethyl 1,2- or 1,4-dicarboxylates are discussed elsewhere [120-122]. The same reaction with trimethylsilyl isobutyrate affords the C,0-silylated alcohol 1917, in 72% yield, which is desilylated to 1918 [123] (Scheme 12.34). Likewise, reduction of the diesters 1919 affords the cyclized O-silylated acyloin products 1920 in high yields, which give on saponification the acyloins 1921 [119]. Whereas electroreduction on a Mg-electrode in the presence of MesSiCl 14 converts esters such as ethyl cyclohexane-carboxylate via 1922 and subsequent saponification into acyloins such as 1923 [124], electroreduction of esters such as ethyl cyclohexylcarboxylate using a Mg-electrode without Me3SiCl 14 yields 1,2-ketones such as 1924 [125] (Scheme 12.34). 

For preparative purposes, titanium metal can be used in place of sodium or lithium in liquid ammonia for both the vinyl phosphate231 and aryl phosphate232 cleavages. The titanium metal is generated in situ from TiCl3 by reduction with potassium metal in tetrahydrofuran. 

Attempts to follow a published procedure for the preparation of 1,3 -dithiole-2-thione-4,5-dithiolate salts [1], involving reductive coupling of carbon disulfide with alkali metals, have led to violent explosions with potassium metal, but not with sodium [2], However, mixtures of carbon disulfide with potassium-sodium alloy, potassium, sodium, or lithium are capable of detonation by shock, though not by heating. The explosive power decreases in the order given above, and the first mixture is more shock-sensitive than mercury fulminate [3],... 

Efforts to prepare germanium analogs of alkynes which contain Ge-Ge triple bonds have also met with some success.382-385 Reduction of the germylene 163 with a slight excess ( 5%) of potassium metal affords the germyne 172 (Equation (322)), which contains only one substituent at each germanium and a Ge-Ge distance of 2.2850(6) A... 

Even if the electrochemical behaviour of the complex is unknown, chemical two-electron reduction (by sodium or potassium metal) affords the corresponding dianion [LFe—N=N—FeL]2-, the molecular structure of which is substantially similar to that of the neutral precursor.62 In the dianion, the Fe-N(dinitr0gen) distance remains essentially unaltered with respect to the neutral congener, whereas the N-N distance elongates by about 0.06 A. Such a lengthening of the N=N bond agrees with theoretical results which show that the two added electrons enter N-N antibonding orbitals. 

A very reactive form of a finely divided metal is a so-called Rieke powder [79]. These materials are produced as fine powders by chemical precipitation during the reduction of various metal halides ivith potassium metal in refluxing tetrahydrofuran. Obviously this is a potentially hazardous laboratory procedure and ultrasound has provided an alternative method of preparation of these extremely valuable reagents [80]. The sonochemical technique involves the reduction of metal halides with lithium in TH F at room temperature in a cleaning bath and gives rise to metal powders that have reactivities comparable to those of Rieke powders. Thus powders of Zn, Mg, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pd, Co and Pb were obtained in less than 40 min by this ultrasonic method compared with reaction times of 8 h using the experimentally more difScult Rieke method (Tab. 3.1). 

Stable ladder oligosilanes are also of interest. The potassium metal reduction of the neutral ladder oligosilanes containing 6-12 silicon atoms fully substituted by isopropyl groups leads to the formation of corresponding anion-radicals that are highly stable at room temperatnre (Kyushin et al. 2000). These silanes can be nsed as electric switchers. 

Sir Humphry Davy attempted to isolate this unidentified element through electrolysis—but failed. It was not until 1824 that Jons Jakob Berzehus (1779—1848), who had earlier discovered cerium, osmium, and iridium, became the first person to separate the element silicon from its compound molecule and then identify it as a new element. Berzehus did this by a two-step process that basically involved heating potassium metal chips with a form of silica (SiF = silicon tetrafluoride) and then separating the resulting mixture of potassium fluoride and silica (SiF + 4K —> 4KF + Si). Today, commercial production of sihcon features a chemical reaction (reduction) between sand (SiO ) and carbon at temperatures over 2,200°C (SiO + 2C + heat— 2CO + Si). 

This is remarkable, since the reduction potential of Th(IV) to Th(III) recently has been estimated as —3.7 volts 73) and direct reduction of U(C5H5)4 and Pu(C5Hs)3 with potassium metal produces the actinide metals. The ei/z for naphthalene in acetonitrile is —2.63 V (nearly the same as the aLkaJi metals). Since this is much smaller than the Th(IV) to Th(III) reduction potential, it would seem to imply substantial stabilization of the +3 state by cyclopentadienide. The observed room temperature magnetic moment of Th(C 5115)3 (0.403 BM) is consistent with the Th(III) (5/ ) assignment. Thorium triscyclopentaxhenide is similar in behavior to U(C5H5)3, forms adducts with both THF and cyclohexyhso-nitrile and has been shown to be isostructural with the other tris (cyclopentadienyl) actinides and lanthanides. 

Under the conditions which cause migration of the double bonds, e.g. treatment with sodium and especially potassium, the isolated double bonds can become conjugated, and thus they undergo reduction by metals. Some macrocyclic cycloalkadienes were reduced (predominently to trans cycloalkenes) by treatment with potassium on alumina in a hydrogen atmosphere [350]. 

An early electrochemical study of corannulene revealed the presence of two well-defined polarographic waves with half-wave potentials of-1.88 and -2.36 V (r-butylammonium perchlorate in acetonitrile). The first wave represented a reversible, one-electron reduction leading to radical anion formation (emerald green solution) further characterized by UV-VIS and ESR. The second wave was reported to be associated with the formation of a bright red species which is not paramagnetic, but it is not believed to be the dianion, but rather some decay product of it. Treatment of THF solutions of 8 with sodium and potassium metals also led to the formation of the same species. ... 

Thorium metal also can he prepared hy thermal reduction of its hahdes with calcium, magnesium, sodium, or potassium at elevated temperatures (950°C), first in an inert atmosphere and then in vacuum. Fluoride and chloride thorium salts are commonly employed. Berzehus first prepared thorium by heating tetrachloride, ThCh, with potassium. Magnesium and calcium are the most common reductant. These metals are added to thorium halides in excess to ensure complete reduction. Excess magnesium or calcium is removed by heating at elevated temperatures in vacuum. One such thermal reduction of hahdes produces thorium sponge, which can be converted into the massive metal by melting in an electron beam or arc furnace. 

Rieke reported in the early 1970s the preparation of highly reactive metal forms by the reduction of metal halides with alkali metals19. In the original work, anhydrous ZnBr2 in dry THF was refluxed for 4 h with potassium affording a finely divided slurry of an air-sensitive reactive metal, denoted as Zn (equation 5)43. 

Reduction of [Fe4Se4(NO)4] by a stoichiometric quantity of potassium metal in the presence of 2,2,2-cryptand yielded the salt [K(2,2,2-crypt)]+[Fe4Se4(NO)4] (52), use of excess barium metal under similar conditions gave the rather unstable dinegative anion [Fe4Se4(NO)4]2 ,... 

Approximately 25 years after Mond and co-workers had prepared the first carbonyl of cobalt, Co2(CO)8 (78), Hieber obtained HCo(CO)4 by the acidification of salts containing [Co(CO)4] (79), one of the first established carbonylmetallates (80). In 1941, Behrens, a student of Hieber, initiated his important and extensive investigations on the reduction of metal carbonyls and their derivatives by alkali and alkaline earth metals in liquid ammonia (81). At this time he established that various salts of [Co(CO)4]-, including Na[Co(CO)4] and K[Co(CO)4], could be obtained from the neutralization of HCo(CO)4 or the reduction of Cd[Co(CO)4]2 by sodium or potassium in liquid ammonia (4). On the basis of Behrens pioneering studies, we were... 

Of the homoleptic carbonylmetallates(l -) we have attempted to reduce, [Co(CO)4] appears to be the most difficult. Although the sodium salts of [M(CO)6] (M = V, Nb, and Ta) were quickly reduced in liquid ammonia by sodium metal to provide the corresponding trianions, [M(CO)5]3 (vide supra), it seems unlikely that we have ever effected complete reduction of Na[Co(CO)4] to Na3[Co(CO)3]. Even after 2 days of refluxing (at — 33°C) anhydrous ammonia solutions of Na[Co(CO)4] with excess Na, considerable amounts of the tetracarbonylcobaltate(l —) remained. Low yields of a heterogeneous-appearing brown to olive-brown insoluble solid were isolated this solid has been shown to contain Na3[Co(CO)3] (vide infra). As in the case of [Re(CO)s], we found that solutions of potassium in liquid ammonia were far more effective at reducing [Co(CO)4]-. However, unlike [Re(CO)s], [Rh(CO)4], or [Ir(CO)4] (vide infra), there was no evidence that [Co(CO)4] was reduced by sodium or potassium metal in hexa-methylphosphoric triamide. We observed that excess sodium naphthalenide slowly (over a period of 40-50 hr at room temperature) converted Na[Co(CO)4] in THF to an impure and insoluble brown powder that contained Na3[Co(CO)3], but this synthesis appeared to be of little or no utility. 

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