Trapp mixture explained

The Trapp mixture is a specific mixture of organic solvents that allows chemical reactions to take place at very low temperatures.[1] It is made up of THF:diethyl ether:pentane in a 4:4:1 ratio which remains liquid down to −110 °C and the same solvents in a 4:1:1 ratio remain a liquid down to −120 °C. This solvent system retains a low viscosity until just before freezing and it allows a lower temperature reaction than pure THF, which melts at −108.4 °C. An illustrative application of Trapp solvent is the preparation of vinyllithium by lithium halogen exchange from vinyl bromide and tert-butyllithium.[2] The low temperatures suppress the reaction of the strongly basic organolithium reagent with the THF.

References

  1. Darstellung und thermische Stabilität von 1-Chlor-2.2-diaryl-vinyllithium-Verbindungen ('The formation and thermal stability of 1-chloro-2,2-diaryl-vinyl lithium compounds'). G. Köbrich . H. Trapp . . February 1966 . 99 . 2 . 680 . 10.1002/cber.19660990243 . 10 March 2024.
  2. "Vinyllithium" . Eric K. Eisenhart. Bernard Bessieres . e-EROS Encyclopedia of Reagents for Organic Synthesis. 17 September 2007. 10.1002/047084289X.rv015.pub2. 10 March 2024.