Question 142

Alkyl halides react with dialkyl copper reagents to give

Name: Alkyl halides react with dialkyl copper reagents to give
Uploaded: 2026-06-21T15:05:30.103454+05:30
Duration: 2 min 47 s
Description: Alkyl halides react with dialkyl copper reagents to give

Solution

When an alkyl halide $$(R-X)$$ is treated with a lithium dialkylcuprate reagent $$(R_{2}^{\prime }CuLi)$$, a new carbon-carbon $$\sigma $$-bond is formed, yielding a higher alkane $$(R-R')$$.

$$R-X+R_{2}^{\prime }CuLi\longrightarrow R-R^{\prime }+R^{\prime }-Cu+LiX$$

Coupling Mechanism: It is a cross-coupling reaction. The nucleophilic alkyl group $$(R^{\prime })$$ from the Gilman reagent attacks the alkyl halide $$(R).$$

Substrate Versatility: The alkyl halide $$(R-X)$$ works best if it is primary $$(1^{\circ })$$ or secondary $$(2^{\circ })$$. It can also be a vinyl halide or an aryl halide, which allows for the preparation of substituted alkenes and alkylbenzenes.

Symmetrical and Unsymmetrical Alkanes: Unlike the Wurtz reaction, which gives poor yields for unsymmetrical alkanes due to a mixture of products, the Corey-House synthesis is excellent for preparing both symmetrical and unsymmetrical alkanes in high purity.