Sodium naphthalenide, highly reactive

In 1973, the direct potassium metal reduction of zinc salts was reported.3 This active zinc powder reacted with alkyl and aryl bromides to form the alkyl- and arylzinc bromides under mild conditions.4 The reduction of anhydrous zinc salts by alkali metals can be facilitated through the use of electron carriers. Lithium and sodium naphthalenide reduce zinc salts to give highly reactive metal powders under milder and safer conditions. Graphite5 and liquid ammonia6 have also been employed as electron carriers in producing zinc powders. A highly dispersed reactive zinc powder was formed from the sodium metal reduction of zinc salts on titanium dioxide.7... 

It is difficult to choose a reference compound against which to judge the stability of the dication. That it can be formed at all, however, is suggestive of special stabilization associated with the two TT-electron system. The dianion formed by adding two electrons to the TT system of cyclobutadiene also meets the 4 - -2 criterion. In this case, however, four of the six electrons would occupy HMO nonbonding orbitals, so high reactivity could be expected. There is some evidence that this species may have a finite existence. " Reaction of 3,4-dichlorocyclobutene with sodium naphthalenide, followed a few minutes later by methanol-0-<7 gives a low yield of 3,4-di-deutero-cyclobutene. The inference is that the dianion [ 4114 ] is present, but there has not yet been direct experimental observation of this species. Cyclooctatetraene is reduced by alkali metals to a dianion. 

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