2. Organometallic Compounds
• Compounds that contain a Metal-Carbon bond.
• Metal Alkyls, e.g. Tetraethyllead - Leaded Gas
• Alkyl = methyl, ethyl, tert-butyl, etc.
• Metal = Li, Na, K (alkali metals)
Mg (alkaline earth metals)
Ti Cr Mn Fe Co Ni Cu Zn
Zr Ru Pd Hg
OS Pt
3. Metal Alkyls
• General formula R-M (R = alkyl, M = metal)
• The C-M bond is a covalent bond!
• However, C--M+ or R--M+ bond tend to be polarized.
• This is especially true for organometallic
compounds conataining the more electropositive
metals, i.e. alkali and alkaline earth metals.
• Generally, the alkyl fragment of the organometallic
compound is very reactive; however this depends on
the metal, changing the metal alters the polarization
of the R-M bond.
• Thus different organometallic compounds are used
in many different types of organic reactions.
4. Useful Metal Alkyls in Organic Synthesis
C-M Bond
• Organomagnesium – Mg (C--Mg+)
• Organolithium - Li (C--Li+)
8. 1. Reaction with formaldehyde
• Addition of a Grignard reagent to formaldehyde
followed by H3O+ gives a 1° alcohol
• This sequence (mechanism) is general and important!
Mg
+2
H3O
+
CH3CH2
-
MgBr
+
H
C
H
O CH3CH2 C
H
H
O
-
MgBr
+
CH3CH2 C
H
H
OH +
THF dil.
9. Mg
+2
H3O
+
CH3CH2
-
MgBr
+ CH3CH2 C O
-
MgBr
+
O
+
THF dil.
CH3CH2 C OH
O
C O
O
2. Reactions with CO2
These are valuable and important reactions…
Please add to your card stock!
10. 3. Grignard reagents react with esters
R
MgX
C
O
••
•
• –
MgX
+
d– d+
R C
O
••
•
•
•
•
diethyl
ether
OCH3
••
•• OCH3
••
••
R'
R'
but species formed is
unstable and dissociates
under the reaction
conditions to form a ketone
11. Grignard reagents react with esters
R
MgX
C
O
••
•
• –
MgX
+
d– d+
R C
O
••
•
•
•
•
diethyl
ether
OCH3
••
•• OCH3
••
••
R'
R'
–CH3OMgX
C
O
R R'
•
•
••
this ketone then goes on
to react with a second
mole of the Grignard
reagent to give a tertiary
alcohol
12. Example
2 CH3MgBr + (CH3)2CHCOCH3
O
1. diethyl ether
2. H3O+
(CH3)2CHCCH3
OH
CH3
(73%)
Two of the groups
attached to the
tertiary carbon
come from the
Grignard reagent