CAS · 557-20-0
Product Overview
Diethylzinc is a high-purity grignard-reagent supplied for industrial and specialty chemical applications. Contact our team for specifications, packaging options and lead times.
Product Specifications
| Appearance: | Colorless liquid |
|---|---|
| Assay: | 1.0 mol in Hexane solution |
Applications
1. Organic Synthesis
Used as a nucleophilic ethylating agent in the addition to electrophiles such as aldehydes and ketones to form secondary and tertiary alcohols.
Preferred over Grignard reagents in some sensitive syntheses due to its lower basicity and higher selectivity, minimizing side reactions.
2. Catalysis and Asymmetric Synthesis
Key reagent in asymmetric additions to carbonyl compounds when combined with chiral catalysts or ligands.
Widely employed in enantioselective synthesis to produce chiral alcohols with high optical purity, critical in pharmaceutical manufacturing.
3. Preparation of Organometallic Complexes
Acts as a precursor in the synthesis of other organozinc compounds and metallic catalysts.
Useful in preparing zinc-based reagents for cross-coupling and other catalytic processes.
4. Polymerization Initiator
Utilized as an initiator or co-catalyst in the polymerization of olefins and other monomers, influencing polymer properties such as molecular weight and stereoregularity.
5. Materials Science
Applied in the synthesis of organometallic precursors for thin films and nanomaterials through chemical vapor deposition (CVD) or related methods.
Benefits
1. Milder Reactivity
Compared to Grignard reagents, diethylzinc exhibits lower nucleophilicity and basicity, which is advantageous for sensitive substrates and functional groups.
2. High Selectivity
Enables cleaner reactions with fewer side products, increasing yields and purity of desired products.
3. Versatility
Applicable in a broad range of synthetic protocols, including enantioselective transformations.
4. Facilitates Asymmetric Catalysis
Essential for producing chiral compounds used in pharmaceutical and agrochemical industries.
Conclusion
Diethylzinc (CAS 557-20-0) is a valuable organozinc reagent extensively used for ethylation reactions, asymmetric synthesis, and catalysis in organic chemistry. Its mild reactivity and high selectivity make it preferable over more reactive organometallic reagents in many applications, especially where functional group tolerance and stereochemical control are critical. Due to its pyrophoric nature, careful handling under inert conditions is mandatory to ensure safety during use.
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