Zincate reactivity

Zinc and cadmium are both silvery, reactive metals that are similar to each other but differ sharply from mercury. Zinc is amphoteric (like its main-group neighbor aluminum). It reacts with acids to form Zn2+ ions and with alkalis to form the zincate ion, [Zn(OH)4]2 ... 

Although the existence and structures of tetraorganozincates in the solid state are now well established, the reactivity patterns of these compounds in organic synthesis are still largely unknown. Homoleptic and heteroleptic tetrasubstituted dianionic zincates of the type [ZnR3X], X = Me, CN, SCN, were prepared as shown in Scheme 58... 

For the correlation of reactivities of zincates and cuprates with d-orbital energies of the ate complexes, see S. Mori, A. Hirai, M. Nakamura and E. Nakamura, Tetrahedron, 56, 2805... 

Based on the observation that alkenylmetals were highly reactive partners in carbo-zincations involving allylic organozinc reagents (see Section III.D), Nakamura and... 

A large number of compounds used as catalysts in acid-ion lactam polymerization are known. These include alkalis, alkali-earth metals, hydrates, Grignard reagents, lithium oxide, various hydroxides and carbonates, sulfates, halides, sodium zincate, alkaline salts of different acids, i.e., compounds that cause the formation of lactam acid ion in the reactive medium. The mechanism of polymerization in the presence of sodium-lactam- salt compounds is largely known. 

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