ABSTRACT
Carbon can form covalent bonds to many elements found in the periodic table. When carbon forms covalent bonds to certain metals, an interesting and highly useful class of compounds is formed that are known as organometallic compounds. Magnesium metal reacts with alkyl halides to form an organic molecule that contains magnesium, an organometallic compound. Carbon forms bonds to copper in several ways. One of the more useful ways is to form an organocuprate, which has the structure R2CuLi. In various reactions the carbon atom in organocuprates functions as a nucleophile. The solvent tetrahydrofuran (THF) is more basic than diethyl ether, providing assistance for the formation of the Grignard reagent and also extra stabilization of the Mg after the reagent is formed. Formation of aryl Grignard reagents is slow, again requiring the assistance of the better Lewis base, THF, relative to diethyl ether.
