THE PREPARATION OF FINELY DIVIDED METAL POWDERS AND TRANSITION-METAL COMPLEXES USING ORGANICALLY SOLVATED MAGNESIUM

Treatment of commercial magnesium powder in THF with a small amount of anthracene generates a highly active form of magnesium (Mg*). The Mg* is an excellent in situ reducing agent for transition metal salts, giving highly reactive metal powders of Groups 8-12. In the presence of electron donor ligands, this reduction provides a useful one-step route to organotransition metal complexes. The application of 35 kHz ultrasound during the reaction improves the dispersity of the metal powders and enhances the yields of the complexes.