This review describes the additions of allylmagnesium reagents to carbonyl compounds and to imines, focusing on the differences in reactivity between allylmagnesium halides and other Grignard reagents. In many cases, allylmagnesium reagents either react with low stereoselectivity when other Grignard reagents react with high selectivity, or allylmagnesium reagents react with the opposite stereoselectivity. This review collects hundreds of examples, discusses the origins of stereoselectivities or the lack of stereoselectivity, and evaluates why selectivity may not occur and when it will likely occur. CONTENTS 4.2.5. Additions to β-Substituted Aldehydes 4.2.6. Additions to Aldehydes with Distant Chelating Groups 4.3. Additions to Cyclic Ketones 4.3.1. Alkoxy-Substituted Cyclic Ketones 4.3.2. Additions to Alkoxy-Substituted Five-Membered-Ring Ketones 4.3.3. Additions to Alkoxy-Substituted Four-Membered-Ring Ketones 4.4. Additions of Allylmagnesium Halides to Cyclic Hemiacetals 5. Diastereoselectivity of Reactions of Allylmagnesium Reagents with Carbonyl Compounds by Felkin−Anh Control 5.1. Felkin−Anh Stereoselectivity 5.2. Additions to α-Chiral Acyclic Ketones 5.3. Additions to Chiral Exocyclic Ketones and Aldehydes 5.4. Additions of Allylmagnesium Halides to Chiral Cyclic Ketones Controlled by Felkin−Anh Selectivity 5.5. Additions of Allylmagnesium Halides to Chiral Acyclic Aldehydes 6. Diastereoselectivity of Reactions with Carbonyl Compounds by Steric Approach Control 6.1. Steric Approach Control and Stereoselectivity

Allylic Grignard reagents exhibit high reactivity and low selectivity in additions to carbonyl compounds. Additions of allylic Grignard reagents to carbonyl compounds were investigated using prenylmagnesium chloride as a mechanistic probe. When the carbonyl group is relatively unhindered, the addition proceeds through a six-membered transition state with allylic transposition. This process generally occurs with no diastereoselectivity because the reaction rates approach the diffusion limit. With hindered ketones, however, this pathway is disfavored, and the addition proceeds through a transition state resembling that of other Grignard reagents.

The stereoselectivities of reactions of allylmagnesium reagents with chiral ketones cannot be easily explained by stereochemical models. Competition experiments indicate that the complexation step is not reversible, so nucleophiles cannot access the widest range of possible encounter complexes and therefore cannot be analyzed easily using available models. Nevertheless, additions of allylmagnesium reagents to a ketone can still be stereoselective provided that the carbonyl group adopts a conformation that leads to one face being completely blocked from the approach of the allylmagnesium reagent.

The additions of allylmagnesium reagents to carbonyl compounds are important methods in synthetic organic chemistry, but the mechanisms of these reactions are likely to be distinct from mechanisms followed by other organomagnesium reagents. Additions to alkyl aldehydes and ketones are likely to be concerted, proceeding through six-membered-ring transition states. These highly reactive reagents appear to react at rates that approach the diffusion limit, so chemoselectivity is generally low. Furthermore, reactions of allylmagnesium halides with carbonyl compounds are unlikely to follow stereochemical models that require differentiation between competing transition states. This Short Review discusses the current state of understanding of these reactions, including the structure of the reagent and unique aspects of the reactivity of allylmagnesium reagents.1 Introduction2 Reactions with Carbonyl Compounds2.1 Reactivity of Allylmagnesium Halides2.2 Selectivity of Addition3 Structure of Allylmagnesium Reagents3.1 Schlenk Equilibrium and Aggregation3.2 Spectroscopic Studies3.3 X-ray Crystallographic Studies3.4 Computational Studies of Structure4 Reaction Mechanism4.1 Substrate-Dependent Mechanisms4.2 Concerted Mechanisms4.3 Single-Electron Transfer Mechanisms4.4 Open, SE2′-Like Transition State4.5 Computational Studies of Mechanism5 Conclusion

A radical clock system was developed to investigate single-electron transfer (SET) in the reactions of organomagnesium reagents with carbonyl compounds. The fluorenylcyclopropyl radical clock was selected because it is the fastest known radical clock. Additions of Grignard reagents to aldehydes or methyl ketones provided no evidence for ring-opened products that would indicate reaction through SET. Additions of some Grignard reagents to aromatic ketones, however, resulted in the formation of ring-opened products, suggesting SET.