Zinc dust (9.8 g, 150 mmol) was added to nitrogen purged water (40 mL). The resulting slurry was then purged with nitrogen for 15 min. CuSO4 (0.75g, 4.7 mmol) was then added. The black slurry was fifiltered under nitrogen, washed with deoxygenated (nitrogen purged) water, acetone, and ether, and dried under vacuum. The couple can be stored indefifinitely in a Schlenk tube under nitrogen.
Zinc-copper couple is used in the Simmons-Smith cyclopropanation reaction, Reformatsky reaction. It is used as a chemical for the selective, stereospecific reduction of alkynes to cis-alkenes. It is used in for deiodination of iodotributylstannylalkanes. In the presence of a free-radical initiator, it promotes the formylation of perfluoroalkyl iodides with DMF to give fluorinated aldehydes in high yield. It is used in dermatology.
