MgCl2-accelerated addition of functionalized organozinc reagents to aldehydes, ketones, and carbon dioxide

Abstract

Figure Presented Pump it up! The sluggish reactivity of organozinc reagents in additions to aldehydes, ketones, and CO2 can be increased by MgCl2, which is usually generated in the preparation of the zinc reagent. The direct reaction with CO2, in particular, opens an expeditious route to phenylacetic acid derivatives, as demonstrated in a short synthesis of ibuprofen (see scheme). © 2010 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.