Arene-catalysed lithiation reactions

The lithiation of different substrates in the presence of a catalytic amount of an arene [mainly naphthalene or 4,4'-di-tert-butylbiphenyl (DTBB)] allows the easy preparation of organolithium compounds under very mild reaction conditions. Using this methodology, new routes for alkyllithium compounds from non-halogenated materials (allylic alcohols, or their O-silyl or O-mesyl derivatives, alkyl sulfates or phosphates, sulfides, sulfoxides or sulfones and nitriles) as well as oxygen-, nitrogen- and sulfur-containing functionalised organolithium compounds or polylithium intermediates from chlorinated materials or saturated heterocycles (three-, four- and six-membered systems) are developed.