Highly reactive form of copper and reagents thereof

Abstract

A novel zerovalent copper species and an organocopper reagent are disclosed. The zerovalent copper species is directly produced by reaction of a reducing agent with a combination of copper(I) cyanide or halide and an alkali metal halide salt. The organocopper reagent resulting from the reaction of the zerovalent copper species and an organic compound having one or more stable anionic leaving groups is a stable reagent that will not significantly homocouple and under controlled conditions tolerates the presence of nitrile, epoxide, imine, enone, ketone, ester, allyl and benzyl groups within the organo radical. The reagent can be controlled so that it will selectively add to an organic electrophile such as an acid halide or aldehyde while other less reactive electrophilic groups are present. The reagent will also add under controlled conditions to epoxide, enone, imine and ketone groups.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.