Mesitylcopper – A Powerful Tool in Synthetic Chemistry

Abstract

Since its first report in 1981, mesitylcopper has become an extremely popular and useful reagent, with many new applications emerging during the past decade. This review summarizes its structural and spectroscopic properties and gives a brief overview of the multitude of fascinating compounds and reactions that have been discovered by using mesitylcopper. Specifically, the role of mesitylcopper in synthesizing oligonuclear homo-and heteroleptic copper(I) frameworks, including biorelevant copper(I) complexes, and the application of mesitylcopper in stoichiometric and catalytic C−C and C−heteroatom bond-forming reactions and as a precursor for nanoparticles and intermetallic phases are covered.

Direct Synthesis of N‐Heterocyclic Carbene‐Stabilized Copper Nanoparticles from an N‐Heterocyclic Carbene–Borane

“…Thus, we started our investigations with an NHC–borane with n ‐C 12 H 25 aliphatic chains on the N atoms of the NHC core. [CuMes] n was previously used for the synthesis of colloidal Cu NPs . In this study, copper NPs were generated under inert atmosphere from a solution of [CuMes] n in toluene, to which NHC–BH 3 was added (1–5 equiv).…”

Steering Surface Reaction Dynamics with a Self‐Assembly Strategy: Ullmann Coupling on Metal Surfaces

“…Additionally,t he calculated DOS of the CI depicted abound state at À0.12 eV below the Fermi level when the configuration depicted in the upper part of Figure 1mis adopted (Supporting Information, Figures S3c and S3d). [34][35][36] Nevertheless, the CI is rationalized in terms of its energetics according to our DFT calculations.E ventually,m ost CIs turned into the final coupling product, QP,u pon thermal treatment at 430 K for 5minutes (Figure 1e). Similar Agor Cu-coordinated clusters stabilized by phenyl or phenyl derivatives have been proposed previously.…”

Synthesis and characterization of {[CuI3Sn2(OBut)6]+[CuII(hfac)3]−} – A heterometallic cluster with unique triangular copper(I) core

“…Each copper(I) atom of the triangle is coordinated by two alkoxide ligands in a nearly linear fashion, as often observed [24] for monovalent copper, with Cu-O distances of 1.840 (16) (4)°. The distances between copper atoms in the trinuclear core of the cation are significantly shorter than the sum of the van der Waals radii [26,27], falling into the category of cuprophilic interactions, similar to those in other polynuclear Cu I compounds [28]. In heterometallic cation of 1, the formation of the triangular core is stabilized by cuprophilic interactions as well as by linear coordination from capping tin trialkoxide groups.…”