• Mild Lewis acid:
• For a brief feature on uses of the reagent in synthesis, see: Synlett, 1044 (2005).
• Widely used to generate carbenoid species from ɑ-diazo esters and ketones, via in situ reduction to the Cu(I) species: J. Am. Chem. Soc., 95, 3300 (1973). Preferred reagent for intramolecular cyclization of various diazo ketones: J. Org. Chem., 49, 11496 (1984). Also promotes the reaction between diazo esters and imines to give aziridines: J. Chem. Soc., Chem. Commun., 1 (1995).
• Catalyzes syn-selective aldol condensation of (Z)-silyl enol ethers with aldehydes: Chem. Lett., 959 (1997).
• Used catalytically, promotes dehydration of alcohols and diols to alkenes at ambient temperatures: Helv. Chim. Acta, 70, 607 (1987).
• Friedel-Crafts alkylation and acylation reactions of aromatics are also catalyzed: Tetrahedron, 57, 241 (2001).