This paper describes the use of poly(α -olefin)s (PAOs) as safer alternatives to cyclohexane, hexanes, and heptane as solvents for alkyllithium reagents. While PAOs like any alkane are flammable, PAOs do not readily catch on fire because they contain 20 or more carbon atoms, a low volatility, and have a high flash point vis-à-vis alkanes like hexane. Also unlike conventional alkanes, PAOs can be quantitatively separated from polar organic solvents and polar organic products either by a simple gravity separation or by an extraction after a reaction. Any leaching of the PAO solvent into a polar phase during such a separation can be minimized by addition of small amounts of water to the polar phase. However, while these PAO solvents have some physical differences from conventional low molecular weight volatile alkanes, they otherwise behave like alkanes and alkyllithium reagents in these PAO solvents can used in their conventional reactions in these PAO solvents.

本文介绍了使用聚（α-烯烃）（PAOs）作为环己烷，己烷和庚烷作为烷基锂试剂的溶剂的更安全替代品。尽管PAO像任何烷烃一样都是易燃的，但PAO却不容易着火，因为它们含有20个或更多的碳原子，挥发性低，并且相对于烷烃（如己烷）而言具有较高的闪点。也不同于常规烷烃，可以通过简单的重力分离或通过反应后的萃取将PAO与极性有机溶剂和极性有机产物定量分离。在这种分离过程中，PAO溶剂在极性相中的任何浸出可通过向极性相中添加少量水来最小化。但是，尽管这些PAO溶剂与常规的低分子量挥发性烷烃有一些物理差异，