TOJC--9.26a&b
ulamce@plu.edu
Mon, 02 Dec 1996 00:25:00 -0800 (PST)
HI there! I had a question about 9.26a&b. The problem says to outline a
synthesis for different compounds. For a and b, the answer book uses a
lithium dialkylcuprate reaction to combine the the alkyl chains, using
radical reactions to produce the alkyl halides for the (R2)LiCu reaction.
My question is why you can't just have the two alkane chains react with
radicals to produce alkyl radicals, and then have the two alkyl radicals
combine to form the longer alkyl chain? Wouldn't this be a possible
chain-terminating step that could happen in the reaction if you had both
alkanes present originally in the mixture?
Hopefully someone understood what I was babling about.... =)
ulamce