Polyfunctional zinc and magnesium organometallic reagents occupy a central position in organic synthesis. Most organic functional groups are tolerated by zinc organometallic reagents, and Csp(2)-centered magnesium organometallic reagents are compatible with important functional groups, such as the ester, aryl ketone, nitro, cyano, and amide functions. This excellent chemoselectivity gives zinc- and magnesium-organometallic reagents a central position in modern organic synthesis. Efficient and general preparations of these organometallic reagents, as well as their most practical and useful reactions, are presented in this Perspective. As starting materials, a broad range of organic halides (iodides, bromides, and also to some extent chlorides) can be used for the direct insertion of magnesium or zinc powder; the presence of LiCl very efficiently promotes such insertions. Alternatively, aromatic or heterocyclic bromides also undergo a smooth bromine-magnesium exchange when treated with i-PrMgCl·LiCl. Alternative precursors of zinc and magnesium reagents are polyfunctionalized aryl and heteroaryl molecules, which undergo directed metalations with sterically hindered TMP bases (TMP = 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperide) of magnesium and zinc. This powerful C-H functionalization method gives access to polyfunctional heterocyclic zinc and magnesium reagents, which undergo efficient reactions with numerous electrophiles. The compatibility of the strong TMP-bases with BF3·OEt2 (formation of frustrated Lewis pairs) dramatically increases the scope of these metalations, giving for example, a practical access to magnesiated pyridines and pyrazines, which can be used as convenient building blocks for the preparation of biologically active molecules.

The LiCl-mediated Mg-insertion in the presence of ZnCl2 allows an efficient synthesis of adamantylzinc reagents starting from the corresponding functionalized tertiary bromides. The highly reactive adamantylzinc species readily undergo a broad variety of functionalizations such as Negishi cross-couplings, Cu(I)-catalyzed acylations and allylations, and 1,4-addition reactions leading to the expected products in excellent yields. Furthermore, the adamantyl moiety could be introduced as α-substituent in terthiophene, increasing its solubility due to the higher lipophilicity and the prevention of π-stacking.

The reaction of the sodium salts of ligands 1a,b (1a = 1,3-bis(2-(5-(3,5-xylyl)pyridyl)imino)-5,6-dimethylisoindole, 1b = 1,3-bis(2-(4-tert-butylpyridyl)imino)-5,6-dimethylisoindole) with [Ir(μ-Cl)(COD)]2 (COD = cyclooctadiene) and [Ir(μ-Cl)(C2H4)2]2 afforded the corresponding isoindolato complexes [{BPI(1a,b)}IrI(COD)] (2a,b) and [{BPI(1a,b)}IrI(C2H4)2] (3a,b), respectively. The catalytic activity of the complexes 2a,b was tested in the epoxidation of a wide range of non-electron-rich olefins, using PPO (PPO = 3-phenyl-2-(phenylsulfonyl)-1,2-oxaziridine) as oxidizing agent, giving the corresponding epoxides in moderate to high yields.

Addition of functionalized aryl, heteroaryl or adamantyl zinc reagents to various nitroso-arenes in the presence of magnesium salts and LiCl in THF produces after a reductive work-up with FeCl2 and NaBH4 in ethanol the corresponding polyfunctional secondary amines in high yields.

Mg for B: An atom‐economical one‐pot synthesis by direct magnesium insertion in the presence of B(OBu)3 and LiCl allows a broad range of functionalized (hetero)aryl and alkenyl bromides to be converted into magnesium diorganoboronates 2, which undergo Suzuki–Miyaura cross‐coupling reactions with various aryl (pseudo)halides (see scheme). Both aryl groups of 2 are transferred and furnish the products in good to excellent yields.