Phenylytterbium iodide has been found to react with ketones, aldehydes, esters, and nitriles to give alcohols and/or ketones. The reactions with esters at low temperature give ketones as main products, and the reactivity of esters to Ph–Yb–I is higher than that of ketones in contrast to the Grignard reaction.
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Fukagawa et al. (1981) studied this question.
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