Stoichiometrically-controlled reactivity and supramolecular storage of butylmagnesiate anions

Toluene is metallated by DABCO-activated disodium tetrabutylmagnesiate, but not by DABCO-activated monosodium tributylmagnesiate; this distinction is rationalised by DFT calculations on model systems, and the crystal structure of the main non-metallated product, which shows interstitial MgBu4(2-) dianions within a polycationic network, is reported.     

Magnesium-mediated benzothiazole activation: a room-temperature cascade of ch deprotonation, cc coupling, ring-opening, and nucleophilic addition reactions

Ligand domin(o)ated: In contrast to the straightforward deprotonation of benzothiazole using Grignard reagents, treatment of benzothiazole with 1 leads to a novel type of activation. The initial magnesiation initiates an unstoppable domino reaction of C?C coupling, ring opening, nucleophilic addition, and deprotonation to give 2. THF=tetrahydrofuran.