The reaction of the organozinc reagent prepared from methylene iodide and zinc‐copper couple with substituted unsaturated compounds has proved to be a versatile and convenient method for the synthesis of cyclopropanes. The synthesis is stereospecific with regard to the stereochemistry of the unsaturated compound and is usually free from serious side reactions; it can be carried out under mild conditions in diethyl and affords cyclopropanes often in good yields. This method can be easily adapted to large‐scale preparations. Two useful variations of the cyclopropanation reaction have appeared which involve the same or a similar organozinc intermediate: (1) diazomethane reacts with iodide in ether to form a reagent which converts unsaturated compounds to cyclopropanes; (2) methlyene iodide and diethyl zinc react in ether in the presence of unsaturated compounds to cyclopropanes. Processes are known in which a divalent carbon fragment adds to carbon‐carbon double bonds either as a free carbene or as an organometallic complex.
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