Ethyl copper

Ethyl copper
Identifiers
CAS Number	18365-11-2;
3D model (JSmol)	Interactive image;
ChemSpider	9553360;
PubChem CID	15975389;
CompTox Dashboard (EPA)	DTXSID20463971 ;
	InChI InChI=1S/C2H5.Cu/c1-2;/h1H2,2H3;/q-1;+1 Key: GDVQAJIJTGEYHX-UHFFFAOYSA-N;
	SMILES C[CH2-].[Cu+];
Properties
Chemical formula	C2H5Cu
Molar mass	92.608 g·mol−1
Appearance	Green crystalline solid
	Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa). Infobox references

Ethyl copper (CuC₂H₅) is an organocopper compound consisting of copper in its +1 oxidation state (cuprous) bound to an ethyl group. It can be generated by transmetallation by the reaction of copper(I) acetate with tetraethyl lead:^[1]

CuOAc + Pb(C₂H₅)₄ → CuC₂H₅ + Pb(C₂H₅)₃OAc

Related compounds

Methyl copper was obtained from methyl lithium and copper(I) iodide at low temperature.^[2]

A copper ethyl complex has been characterized by X-ray crystallography.^[3]

^ Bawn, C. E. H.; Johnson, R. (1960). "815. Alkyl derivatives of group I metals. Part III. Kinetics of decomposition of ethylcopper(I) in ethanol". Journal of the Chemical Society (Resumed): 4162. doi:10.1039/JR9600004162.
^ Bawn, C. E. H.; Whitby, F. J. (1960). "780. Alkyl derivatives of Group I metals. Part II. Properties and reactions of methylcopper(I)". Journal of the Chemical Society (Resumed): 3926. doi:10.1039/JR9600003926.
^ Ziegler, Micah S.; Torquato, Nicole A.; Levine, Daniel S.; Nicolay, Amélie; Celik, Hasan; Tilley, T. Don (2018). "Dicopper Alkyl Complexes: Synthesis, Structure, and Unexpected Persistence". Organometallics. 37 (16): 2807–2823. doi:10.1021/acs.organomet.8b00443.