Angewandte
Communications
Chemie
Scheme 2. Comparative electrophilic interception studies of 2a–2b
and 3a,b prepared in situ via Br/Mg exchange with 0.6 equiv of the
2sBuLi·Mg(OR)2 combination. [a] ZnCl2 (1.3 equiv), E+ (0.8 equiv),
Pd(OAc)2 (4 mol%), SPhos (8 mol%). [b] E+ (1.2 equiv), 258C, 12 h.[10]
Figure 2. Proposed equilibrium of [LiMgsBu2(OR)] (6) with [Li2MgsBu4]
1
(7) and Mg(OR)2. Section of H NMR spectra (from 0.5 to À0.5 ppm)
in [D8]toluene of: a) LiOR + sBu2Mg; b) 2 sBuLi + sBu2Mg and c) LiOR
+ sBu2Mg + 1.5 Mg(OR)2. d) Section of 1H-EXSY NMR spectrum of
LiOR + sBu2Mg in [D8]toluene.
To ascertain whether the different composition of 2a,b
and 3a,b could have an influence on their further function-
alization, electrophilic interception studies were carried out
(Scheme 2).[10]
the same chemical shift as that found in the sBu2Mg/LiOR
Thus, transmetallation of 2a, 3a and 3b with ZnCl2
followed by Pd catalysed cross-coupling with 4-iodo-trifluor-
omethylbenzene or ethyl-3-iodobenzoate led to the formation
of asymmetric bis(arenes) 4a, 5a and 5b in good yields
ranging from 62 to 83%. In addition, 2b reacts with a Weinreb
amide to form acylation product 4b in a 56% yield. While
these quenching studies demonstrate the synthetic utility of
mixture (Figure 2b).
1
Furthermore, H-EXSY NMR experiments indicate that
lithium magnesiates 6 and 7 are in equilibrium with each other
(Figure 2d). An explanatory possible equilibrium is depicted
in Figure 2, with the combination of equimolar amounts of
sBu2Mg and LiOR forming mixed alkyl(alkoxide) co-com-
plex [LiMgsBu2(OR)] (6) which in turn is in equilibrium with
tetra(alkyl) [Li2MgsBu4] (7) and Mg(OR)2. Adding credence
to this interpretation it was found that adding increasing
amounts of Mg(OR)2 to a sBu2Mg/LiOR combination caused
the gradual decrease of 7 in solution, until it disappears
completely after 1.5 equiv of Mg(OR)2 in total. This suggests
that under these conditions the equilibrium lies towards the
formation of 6. While studies on homo(alkyl) alkali-metal
magnesiates have described that higher and lower order
species can be in equilibrium with each other,[14] the type of
equilibrium depicted in Figure 2 for mixed alkyl/alkoxide
species is, as far as we can ascertain, unknown in lithium
magnesiate chemistry. It bears a strong resemblance with the
well-established classical Schlenk equilibrium in Grignard
reagent chemistry where heteroleptic RMgX reagents are in
equilibrium with the homoleptic species, MgR2 and MgX2.
Related to these findings, OꢀHara has recently found that
a sodium dialkyl magnesiate supported by a biphenolate
ligand [Na2Mg(biphen)Bu2] is in equilibrium with all alkoxide
sodium magnesiate [Na2Mg(biphen)2] along with Na2MgBu4
although, in this case, all species involved within the
equilibrium have the same 2:1 alkali metal:magnesium
ratio.[13]
The high solubility of [LiMgsBu2(OR)] (6) and
[Li2MgsBu4] (7) in hydrocarbon solvents precluded their
crystallization. In the case of 6, using the alkoxide LiOR’
[R’ = CH2CH2N(CH3)CH2CH2N(CH3)2], which contains two
amide groups, in a co-complexation reaction with one
equivalent of sBu2Mg led to the isolation of dimeric
[LiMgsBu2(OR’)]2 (8) in a 35% crystalline yield (Figure 3).
X-ray crystallographic studies revealed a step ladder motif for
8, comprising outer Li-C rungs and inner Mg-O rungs.[15]
Along the ladder edge, internal NMe2 from the alkoxide
ligands and another sBu group coordinate to Li and Mg,
À
these mixed-metal complexes and their ability to undergo C
C bond forming processes, they also illustrate how on many
occasions the constitution of the active organometallic species
can remain concealed, limiting the understanding on how
such bimetallic reagents operate. This is particularly relevant
for these reactions, where using the same exchange reagent
and same reaction conditions, produces different types of
magnesium aryl species.
Puzzled by the contrasting compositions of 2a,b versus
3a,b, we next probed the constitution of the exchange reagent
sBu2Mg/LiOR in toluene solutions using a combination of
1
NMR experiments including H-DOSY NMR. These studies
revealed the presence of two distinct organometallic species
in solution containing sBu groups (Figure S1).[10] One species
whose M-CH fragment of the sBu groups resonates at d =
1
0.40 ppm in the H NMR spectrum (Figure 2a) belongs to
a compound which also contains alkoxide ligands (both sets of
resonances exhibit almost identical diffusion coefficients (D)
1
by H-DOSY NMR).[10] These data support the formation of
co-complexation product [LiMgsBu2(OR)] (6) (Figure 2a).
The second species displays an upfield shifted multiplet at d =
À0.26 ppm which is intermediate between those chemical
shifts found for the single metal reagents sBuLi (d =
À1.09 ppm) and sBu2Mg (d = 0.05 ppm). Moreover, 1H-
DOSY NMR experiments indicate that this signal belongs
to a species that contains only sBu groups,[10] which coupled
with the homoleptic constitution of the exchange products
3a–3b, suggest that this second species may be homoleptic
tetra(alkyl) [Li2MgsBu4] (7) (Figure 2a). Further support for
this interpretation was found when [Li2MgsBu4] (7) was
prepared independently via co-complexation of two equiv-
alents of sBuLi with sBu2Mg which gave a colourless oil with
1
its H NMR spectrum showing a multiplet at d = À0.26 ppm,
ꢀ 2021 Wiley-VCH GmbH
Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2021, 60, 7626 –7631