Sciencemadness Discussion Board

Organo nickel compounds by Transmetalation

ThatchemistKid - 25-4-2011 at 15:33

I have been researching making organometallic compounds through Transmetalation of grignard reagents
specifically today I was thinking of reacting 2-propyl magnesium bromide (which is easily within my capabilities at home) with anhydrous Nickel (II) chloride. I know that reacting a metal chloride with a grignard or lithium reagent is the standard procedure for Transmetalation, but I have been searching google, wikipedia, ACS journals and have not found a specific reference to nickle(II) chloride being used for transmetalation
so if anyone has experience with this information would be appreciated.

~~Mina

[Edited on 25-4-2011 by ThatchemistKid]

[Edited on 26-4-2011 by ThatchemistKid]

ScienceSquirrel - 26-4-2011 at 05:11

I suspect that a simple dialkyl nickel will be quite prone to decomposition to nickel hydride and hydrocarbon species, I would also expect it to be moisture and air sensitive.
Here are some nickel complexes, but note that they are stabilising them by having a cyclopentadienyl and a triphenylphosphine ligand as well

http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/v70-574

ThatchemistKid - 26-4-2011 at 07:38

Thanks for your help!
putting something under inert atmosphere would not be to hard for me to do, but the issue of b-hydride elimination is one I did not think about particularly but the products of that elimination might be interesting to categorize if possible.

~~Mina