The quest for organo-alkali metal monomers: unscrambling the structure–reactivity relationship
Nathan Davison, Erli Lu
Abstract
Organo-alkali metal reagents are essential tools in synthetic chemistry. Alkali metal organometallics aggregate in solution and solid-state forming clusters and polymers. The structure of these aggregates and their structure-reactivity relationship have been of great interest for many decades. This Perspective will look at the strategies that have been employed to isolate low aggregates and, in particular, monomeric complexes of the most common alkali metal alkyls (M = Li-Cs, R = methyl, trimethylsilylmethyl, bis/tris(trimethylsilylmethyl), butyls and benzyl) and the relationship between level of aggregation, structure and reactivity.
Topics & Concepts
Alkali metalReactivity (psychology)MonomerChemistryPolymer chemistryOrganic chemistryPolymerMedicinePathologyAlternative medicineCoordination Chemistry and OrganometallicsOrganometallic Complex Synthesis and CatalysisSynthetic Organic Chemistry Methods