Pivaloylmetals (tBu-COM: M = Li, MgX, K) as equilibrium components.

Short-lived pivaloylmetals, (H(3)C)(3)C-COM, were established as the reactive intermediates arising through thermal heterolytic expulsion of O=CtBu(2) from the overcrowded metal alkoxides tBuC(=O)-C(-OM)tBu(2) (M = MgX, Li, K). In all three cases, this fission step is counteracted by a faster return process, as shown through the trapping of tBu-COM by O=C(tBu)-C(CD(3))(3) with formation of the deuterated starting alkoxides. If generated in the absence of trapping agents, all three tBu-COM species "dimerize" to give the enediolates MO-C(tBu)=C(tBu)-OM along with O=CtBu(2) (2 equiv). A common-component rate depression by surplus O=CtBu(2) proves the existence of some free tBu-COM (separated from O=CtBu(2)); but companion intermediates with the traits of an undissociated complex such as tBu-COM & O=CtBu(2) had to be postulated. The slow fission step generating tBu-COMgX in THF levels the overall rates of dimerization, ketone addition, and deuterium incorporation. Formed by much faster fission steps, both tBu-COLi and tBu-COK add very rapidly to ketones and dimerize somewhat slower (but still fairly fast, as shown through trapping of the emerging O=CtBu(2) by H(3)CLi or PhCH(2)K, respectively). At first sight surprisingly, the rapid fission, return, and dimerization steps combine to very slow overall decay rates of the precursor Li and K alkoxides in the absence of trapping agents: A detailed study revealed that the fast fission step, generating tBu-COLi in THF, is followed by a kinetic partitioning that is heavily biased toward return and against the product-forming dimerization. Both tBu-COLi and tBu-COK form tBu-CH=O with HN(SiMe(3))(3), but only tBu-COK is basic enough for being protonated by the precursor acyloin tBuC(=O)-C(-OH)tBu(2) .