Hydrocarbon-soluble halogen and thiolate/magnesium exchange reagents

Hydrocarbon-soluble exchange reagents of the general formula:

• R1MgR11-n(OR3)n.LiOR2.(1−n)LiOR3.aDonor
• wherein R1 is selected from the group consisting of isopropyl (i-Pr), n-butyl (n-Bu), sec-butyl (s-Bu), tert-butyl (t-Bu) and n-hexyl (n-Hex) and OR2 and OR3 are each independently selected from the group consisting of:
• a) tert-alkoxy,
• b) sec-alkoxy,
• c) primary alkoxy OCH2CHR4R5, having 3 to 12 carbon atoms, wherein the alkoxy residue has a branch at position 2 relative to the O-function and R4 and R5 independently represent alkyl radicals having 1 to 8 carbon atoms, and
• d) alkoxy, containing another alkoxy function, of the general formula O(CHR6)bOR7 wherein R6=H or an alkyl radical having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, which is either linear or has a branch at position 3 or higher relative to the O-function, R7 is a linear or branched alkyl radical having 2 to 12 carbon atoms, and b=an integer from 1 to 4;
• wherein R2 and/or R3 contain an alkoxy substituent OR4, a has a value of 0 to 2, n has a value from 0 to 1, and the Donor is an organic molecule containing at least 2 nitrogen atoms.