Organozinc compound
Organozinc compounds in organic chemistry contain carbon to zinc chemical bonds. Organozinc chemistry is the science of organozinc compounds describing their physical properties, synthesis and reactions.
Organozinc compounds were among the first organometallic compounds made. They are less reactive than many other analogous organometallic reagents, such as Grignard and organolithium reagents. In 1848 Edward Frankland prepared the first organozinc compound, diethylzinc, by heating ethyl iodide in the presence of zinc metal. This reaction produced a volatile colorless liquid that spontaneous combusted upon contact with air. Due to their pyrophoric nature, organozinc compounds are generally prepared using air-free techniques. They are unstable toward protic solvents. For many purposes they are prepared in situ, not isolated, but many have been isolated as pure substances and thoroughly characterized.
Organozinc can be categorized according to the number of carbon substituents that are bound to the metal.
In its coordination complexes zinc(II) adopts several coordination geometries, commonly octahedral, tetrahedral, and various pentacoordinate geometries. These structural flexibility can be attributed to zinc’s electronic configuration [Ar]3d104s2. The 3d orbital is filled. therefore, ligand field effects are nonexistent.Coordination geometry is thus determined largely by electrostatic and steric interactions. Organozinc compounds usually are two- or three-coordinate, reflecting the strongly donating property of the carbanionic ligands.
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