Reactions Of Organocopper Reagents
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Reactions of organocopper reagents involve
species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...
containing copper-carbon bonds acting as
nucleophile In chemistry, a nucleophile is a chemical species that forms bonds by donating an electron pair. All molecules and ions with a free pair of electrons or at least one pi bond can act as nucleophiles. Because nucleophiles donate electrons, they are ...
s in the presence of organic
electrophile In chemistry, an electrophile is a chemical species that forms bonds with nucleophiles by accepting an electron pair. Because electrophiles accept electrons, they are Lewis acids. Most electrophiles are positively charged, have an atom that carries ...
s. Organocopper reagents are now commonly used in
organic synthesis Organic synthesis is a special branch of chemical synthesis and is concerned with the intentional construction of organic compounds. Organic molecules are often more complex than inorganic compounds, and their synthesis has developed into one o ...
as mild, selective nucleophiles for substitution and conjugate addition reactions.Lipshutz, B. H.; Sengupta, S. '' Org. React.'' 1992, ''41'', 135. Since the discovery that copper(I) halides catalyze the conjugate addition of
Grignard reagent A Grignard reagent or Grignard compound is a chemical compound with the general formula , where X is a halogen and R is an organic group, normally an alkyl or aryl. Two typical examples are methylmagnesium chloride and phenylmagnesium bromide ...
s in 1941, organocopper reagents have emerged as weakly basic, nucleophilic reagents for substitution and addition reactions. The constitution of organocopper compounds depends on their method of preparation and the various kinds of organocopper reagents exhibit different reactivity profiles. As a result, the scope of reactions involving organocopper reagents is extremely broad. * Organocopper complexes (RCu) are produced when a copper(I) halide and organolithium are combined. In conjunction with
Lewis acid A Lewis acid (named for the American physical chemist Gilbert N. Lewis) is a chemical species that contains an empty orbital which is capable of accepting an electron pair from a Lewis base to form a Lewis adduct. A Lewis base, then, is any sp ...
ic additives such as
boron trifluoride Boron trifluoride is the inorganic compound with the formula BF3. This pungent, colourless, and toxic gas forms white fumes in moist air. It is a useful Lewis acid and a versatile building block for other boron compounds. Structure and bondin ...
etherate, these reagents are used for conjugate addition reactions. * Lower-order cuprates (R2CuLi, also known as
Gilman reagent A Gilman reagent is a lithium and copper ( diorganocopper) reagent compound, R2CuLi, where R is an alkyl or aryl. These reagents are useful because, unlike related Grignard reagents and organolithium reagents, they react with organic halides to ...
s) result when organocopper complexes are treated with an equivalent of
organolithium In organometallic chemistry Organometallic chemistry is the study of organometallic compounds, chemical compounds containing at least one chemical bond between a carbon atom of an organic molecule and a metal, including alkali, alkaline earth, ...
. Alternatively, they may be formed by the treatment of a copper(I) halide with two equivalents of organolithium. They undergo substitution, conjugate addition, and carbocupration reactions in the presence of the appropriate organic substrates. Mixed Gilman reagents consist of two different R groups, one of which is typically a non-transferable "dummy" group. * Lower-order cyanocuprates (RCu(CN)Li) are similarly derived from an organolithium compound and
copper(I) cyanide Copper(I) cyanide is an inorganic compound with the formula CuCN. This off-white solid occurs in two polymorphs; impure samples can be green due to the presence of Cu(II) impurities. The compound is useful as a catalyst, in electroplating copper ...
; however, intermediate organocopper complexes do not form during this reaction and thus only a single equivalent of organolithium reagent is necessary. Cyanocuprates undergo SN2' substitution in the presence of allyl electrophiles and conjugate addition reactions in the presence of enones. * Higher-order cyanocuprates (R2Cu(CN)Li2) are formed upon the reaction of two equivalents of organolithium with
copper(I) cyanide Copper(I) cyanide is an inorganic compound with the formula CuCN. This off-white solid occurs in two polymorphs; impure samples can be green due to the presence of Cu(II) impurities. The compound is useful as a catalyst, in electroplating copper ...
. These reagents are more reactive towards substitution than the corresponding lower-order cyanocuprates.


Mechanism and Stereochemistry


Substitution Reactions

The mechanism of nucleophilic substitution by lower-order organocuprates depends in a profound way on the structure of the substrate, organocuprate, and reaction conditions. Early evidence suggested that a direct SN2 displacement was occurring; however more recent results suggest that invertive oxidative addition of copper(I) into the carbon-leaving group bond takes place, generating a copper(III) intermediate which then undergoes reductive elimination to generate the coupled product. Both of these mechanisms predict inversion at the electrophilic carbon, which is observed in a number of cases. On the other hand, experiments with radical traps and the observation of
racemization In chemistry, racemization is a conversion, by heat or by chemical reaction, of an optically active compound into a racemic (optically inactive) form. This creates a 1:1 molar ratio of enantiomers and is referred too as a racemic mixture (i.e. con ...
during substitution suggest a radical mechanism. ''(1)''


Conjugate Addition Reactions

In 1941, Kharash discovered that
Grignard reagent A Grignard reagent or Grignard compound is a chemical compound with the general formula , where X is a halogen and R is an organic group, normally an alkyl or aryl. Two typical examples are methylmagnesium chloride and phenylmagnesium bromide ...
s add to cyclohexenone in presence of Cu(I) resulting in 1,4-addition instead of 1,2-addition. This work foreshadowed extensive studies on the
conjugate addition Nucleophilic conjugate addition is a type of organic reaction. Ordinary nucleophilic additions or 1,2-nucleophilic additions deal mostly with additions to carbonyl compounds. Simple alkene compounds do not show 1,2 reactivity due to lack of polarit ...
s to enones with organocuprates. Note that if a
Grignard reagent A Grignard reagent or Grignard compound is a chemical compound with the general formula , where X is a halogen and R is an organic group, normally an alkyl or aryl. Two typical examples are methylmagnesium chloride and phenylmagnesium bromide ...
(such as RMgBr) is used, the reaction with an enone would instead proceed through a 1,2-addition. The 1,4-addition mechanism of cuprates to enones goes through the nucleophilic addition of the Cu(I) species at the beta-carbon of the alkene to form a Cu(III) intermediate, followed by reductive elimination of Cu(I). In the original paper describing this reaction, methylmagnesium bromide is reacted with
isophorone Isophorone is an α,β-unsaturated cyclic ketone. It is a colorless liquid with a characteristic peppermint-like odor, although commercial samples can appear yellowish. Used as a solvent and as a precursor to polymers, it is produced on a large ...
with and without 1 mole percent of added
copper(I) chloride Copper(I) chloride, commonly called cuprous chloride, is the lower chloride of copper, with the formula CuCl. The substance is a white solid sparingly soluble in water, but very soluble in concentrated hydrochloric acid. Impure samples appear gre ...
(see figure). : Without added salt the main products are
alcohol Alcohol most commonly refers to: * Alcohol (chemistry), an organic compound in which a hydroxyl group is bound to a carbon atom * Alcohol (drug), an intoxicant found in alcoholic drinks Alcohol may also refer to: Chemicals * Ethanol, one of sev ...
B (42%) from
nucleophilic addition In organic chemistry, a nucleophilic addition reaction is an addition reaction where a chemical compound with an electrophilic double or triple bond reacts with a nucleophile, such that the double or triple bond is broken. Nucleophilic additions di ...
to the carbonyl group and
diene In organic chemistry a diene ( ) (diolefin ( ) or alkadiene) is a covalent compound that contains two double bonds, usually among carbon atoms. They thus contain two alk''ene'' units, with the standard prefix ''di'' of systematic nomenclature. ...
C (48%) as its
dehydration reaction In chemistry, a dehydration reaction is a chemical reaction that involves the loss of water from the reacting molecule or ion. Dehydration reactions are common processes, the reverse of a hydration reaction. Dehydration reactions in organic che ...
product. With added salt the main product is 1,4-adduct A (82%) with some C (7%). A 1,6-addition is also possible, for example in one step of the commercial-scale production of
fulvestrant Fulvestrant, sold under the brand name Faslodex among others, is a medication used to treat hormone receptor (HR)-positive metastatic breast cancer in postmenopausal women with disease progression as well as HR-positive, HER2-negative advanced br ...
: :


Enantioselective Variants

Diastereoselective conjugate addition reactions of chiral organocuprates provide β-functionalized
ketone In organic chemistry, a ketone is a functional group with the structure R–C(=O)–R', where R and R' can be a variety of carbon-containing substituents. Ketones contain a carbonyl group –C(=O)– (which contains a carbon-oxygen double bo ...
s in high yield and diastereoselectivity. A disadvantage of these reactions is the requirement of a full equivalent of
enantiopure In chemistry, an enantiomer ( /ɪˈnænti.əmər, ɛ-, -oʊ-/ ''ih-NAN-tee-ə-mər''; from Ancient Greek ἐνάντιος ''(enántios)'' 'opposite', and μέρος ''(méros)'' 'part') – also called optical isomer, antipode, or optical anti ...
starting material. ''(3)'' More recently, catalytic enantioselective methods have been developed based on the copper(I)-catalyzed conjugate addition of Grignard reactions to enones. The proposed mechanism involves transmetalation from the Grignard reagent to copper, conjugate addition, and rate-determining reductive elimination (see the analogous upper pathway in equation (2)). ''(4)''


Catalytic reactions

Vinyl and aryl Grignard reagents couple with primary alkyl halides in the presence of a catalytic amount of a copper(I) halide salt. The use of Li2CuCl4 rather than simple copper(I) halide salts (CuX) improves yields of these coupling reactions. ''(5)'' The addition of Grignard reagents to alkynes is facilitated by a catalytic amount of copper halide. Transmetalation to copper and carbocupration are followed by transmetalation of the product
alkene In organic chemistry, an alkene is a hydrocarbon containing a carbon–carbon double bond. Alkene is often used as synonym of olefin, that is, any hydrocarbon containing one or more double bonds.H. Stephen Stoker (2015): General, Organic, an ...
back to
magnesium Magnesium is a chemical element with the symbol Mg and atomic number 12. It is a shiny gray metal having a low density, low melting point and high chemical reactivity. Like the other alkaline earth metals (group 2 of the periodic ta ...
. The addition is ''syn'' unless a coordinating group is nearby in the substrate, in which case the addition becomes ''anti'' and yields improve. ''(6)''


Stoichiometric reactions

Propargyl methanesulfinates are useful substrates for the synthesis of
allene In organic chemistry, allenes are organic compounds in which one carbon atom has double bonds with each of its two adjacent carbon centres (). Allenes are classified as diene#Classes, cumulated dienes. The parent compound of this class is propa ...
s from stoichiometric organocopper complexes. In this case, the complexes were generated ''in situ'' through the combination of a Grignard reagent, copper(I) bromide, and lithium bromide. Organocopper complexes very often need Lewis acid activation in order to react efficiently;
magnesium bromide Magnesium bromide is a chemical compound of magnesium and bromine, with the chemical formula . It is white and deliquescent crystalline solid. It is often used as a mild sedative and as an anticonvulsant for treatment of nervous disorders. It is ...
generated ''in situ'' serves as an activating Lewis acid in this case. ''(7)'' Alkenylcopper complexes, easily generated through carbocupration, are useful for the introduction of a vinyl group in the β position of a carbonyl compound. In this case, as above, magnesium bromide is serving as an activating Lewis acid. ''(8)''
Epoxide In organic chemistry, an epoxide is a cyclic ether () with a three-atom ring. This ring approximates an equilateral triangle, which makes it strained, and hence highly reactive, more so than other ethers. They are produced on a large scale for ...
opening with organocuprates is highly selective for the less hindered position. Substitution takes place with complete inversion of configuration at the electrophilic carbon. ''(9)'' Generally, organocuprates react with allylic electrophiles in an ''anti'' SN2 fashion. In the reaction below, nearly complete inversion of configuration was observed despite the presence of a second stereocenter in the ring. ''(10)'' Conjugate addition of organocuprates is widely used in organic synthesis. Vinyl ether cuprates serve as convenient acyl anion equivalents in conjugate addition reactions to enones. The resulting enol ethers can be hydrolyzed to 1,4-diketones, which are difficult to access using conventional carbonyl chemistry. ''(11)'' The use of additives in conjunction with a stoichiometric amount of organocopper complexes enhances the rate and yield of many reactions. Organocopper complexes in particular react sluggishly in the absence of a Lewis acid. Although magnesium bromide generated ''in situ'' from the reaction of Grignard reagents and copper(I) halides can serve this role (see above), external Lewis acids are also useful. In the presence of boron trifluoride etherate, organocopper complexes are able to add to sterically congested enones in moderate yield (effecting the same transformation with an organocuprate would be difficult). ''(12)'' Boron trifluoride etherate is also useful as an additive in reactions of higher-order cyanocuprates. The use of the 2-thienyl group as a "dummy" substituent in the cyanocuprate conserves the potentially valuable organolithium reagent used to generate the cyanocuprate (as only the dummy group is present in copper-containing byproducts). In the absence of boron trifluoride etherate, no reaction was observed in this case. ''(13)'' Conjugate addition reactions of higher-order cyanocuprates represent another useful application for boron trifluoride etherate. The vinyl group is transferred selectively in this reaction (there is a mistake in a scheme); this is in contrast to substitution reactions employing the same reagent, which result in selective transfer of the methyl group. ''(14)''


Alkylation of amines

Secondary amines can be alkylated with cuprates. The reaction is based on the oxidative coupling of lithium alkyl copper amide which is reported to form in situ during the reaction between lithium dialkylcuprates and primary or secondary amides.


Synthetic Applications

Because the stereoselectivity of carbocupration is extremely high, the reaction has been applied to the synthesis of
pheromone A pheromone () is a secreted or excreted chemical factor that triggers a social response in members of the same species. Pheromones are chemicals capable of acting like hormones outside the body of the secreting individual, to affect the behavio ...
s in which the geometric purity of
double bond In chemistry, a double bond is a covalent bond between two atoms involving four bonding electrons as opposed to two in a single bond. Double bonds occur most commonly between two carbon atoms, for example in alkenes. Many double bonds exist betw ...
s is critical. One example is the insect pheromone of ''Cossus cossus'', which is synthesized by ''syn''-selective carbocupration of
acetylene Acetylene (systematic name: ethyne) is the chemical compound with the formula and structure . It is a hydrocarbon and the simplest alkyne. This colorless gas is widely used as a fuel and a chemical building block. It is unstable in its pure ...
and
alkylation Alkylation is the transfer of an alkyl group from one molecule to another. The alkyl group may be transferred as an alkyl carbocation, a free radical, a carbanion, or a carbene (or their equivalents). Alkylating agents are reagents for effecting ...
of the resulting organocuprate in the presence of added phosphite.Cahiez, G.; Alexakis, A.; Normant, J. F. ''Tetrahedron Lett.'' 1978, 2027. ''(15)''


References

{{reflist, 2 Organic reactions