A new convenient procedure to prepare organomanganese reagents from organic halides and activated manganese

A new method to obtain activated manganese metal, especially attractive for large scale preparative organic chemistry, is described. The key point is the use of 2-phenylpyridine as electron carrier to reduce manganese chlorid e by lithium. The active manganese thus obtained was used to prepare variou s organomanganese reagents from organic halides. The reactivity of these re agents has been studied (acylation, 1,2- or 1,4-addition, alkylation and al kenylation). (C) 1999 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserve d.