1,2-dimagnesium derivatives of cyclopropane

cis-1,2-Dibromomagnesiocyclopropane (cis-$\text{4}$) was isolated from the reaction of both trans- and cis-1,2-dibromocyclopropane ($\text{1}$) with magnesium. The corresponding dialkylmagnesium species ($\text{7}$), an oligomer of 2-magnesabicyclobutane, was obtained from cis-$\text{4}$ by precipitation in THF; it forms a soluble complex 8 with HgBr₂.