Wurtz-coupling

In addition to sodium, other metals have found application for the Wurtz coupling reaction, e.g. zinc, iron, copper, lithium, magnesium. The use of ultrasound can have positive effect on reactivity as well as rate and yield of this two-phase reaction aryl halides can then even undergo an aryl-aryl coupling reaction to yield biaryls. ... 

Thus leading to the disproportionation—alkane (62) + alkene (63)— that is often observed as a side-reaction to the normal Wurtz coupling. 

West and co-workers [9,10] prepared polysilastyrene, a soluble and fusible polymer, by a Wurtz-coupling of dimethyldichlorosilane and methylphenyldichlorosilane (Eq. 4). Thermolysis of this polymer at 450°C results in a polycarbosilastyrene which can be cured by irradiation with UV-light in air at room temperature [11],... 

Aniinophenyl)-a,(J>-ynones react with nitrile oxides by domino [3 + 2] cycloaddition/annulation reactions, giving rise to isoxazolo[4,5-c]quinolines in satisfactory yields (434). Nitrile oxides undergo addition to allylzinc bromide to generate 5-butenylisoxazolines in good yields. The domino reaction combines 1,3-cycloaddition with Wurtz coupling (435). 

Scheme 21 Route to A/-carbazolyl-functionalized polysilanes 53 via Wurtz coupling,...

Recently, a very interesting example of solvatochromism was reported by Fujiki and co-workers.206 Poly(methyl-3,3,3-trifluoropropylsilylene), 87, synthesized via Wurtz coupling, showed solvatochromism as a result of weak, non-covalent intramolecular Si- -F-G interactions which rendered the conformation of the polysilane uniquely controllable by solvent choice and molecular weight. UV, shown in Figure 18, photoluminescence, NMR, and viscosity studies on the polymer indicated a 73 helical rod-like conformation at room temperature in non-coordinating solvents (e.g., toluene and decane), since the intramolecular interaction resulted in constraining the chain in a rigid helix. 

Polysilanes are polymers in which there is catenation of silicon, that is, where silicon atoms are bonded to each other in a continuous manner. Synthesis of polysilanes involves the Wurtz coupling of diorganodichlorosilanes with sodium metal (Eq. 2-239) [Baldus and Jansen, 1997 Corriu, 2000 Manners, 1996 Miller and Michl, 1989 West, 1986 West and Maxka,... 

The main method used to synthesise polysilanes 10.7 involves the thermally induced Wurtz coupling reaction of organodichlorosilanes with alkali metals [eqn (10.7)]. Although improvements in this process have been reported e.g. by the use of ultrasound), the harsh conditions for this reaction tend to limit the side groups that can be successfully introduced to non-functionalised alkyl and aryl units and makes scale-up unattractive. 

During the preparation of allylic zinc reagents, the formation of Wurtz-coupling products may be observed, especially if the intermediate allylic radical is well stabilized. However, the direct insertion of zinc foil to allyl bromide in THF at 5 C is one of the best methods for preparing an allylic anion equivalent. Allylic zinc reagents are more convenient to prepare and to handle than their magnesium and lithium counterparts... 

---