Preparation of solvated and/or unsolvated simple and mixed diarylmagnesiums

Abstract

Arylation of arylmagnesium halides or magnesium halide etherates by aryllithium provides a convenient method of preparing Ar 2Mg(Et 2O) 2 or Ar 2Mg(THF) 2. The ether complexes can be completely desolvated but the THF complexes cannot. Mixed diarylmagnesium tetrahydrofuranates, Ar 1Ar 2Mg(THF) 2, although coordinationally saturated, have 1H and 13C NMR spectra which suggest that they are fluxional.