Butyllithium formation

Rearrangement to an open chain imine (165) provides an intermediate whose acidity toward lithiomethylthiazole (162) is rather pronounced. Proton abstraction by 162 gives the dilithio intermediate (166) and regenerates 2-methylthiazole for further reaction. During the final hydrolysis, 166 affords the dimer (167) that could be isolated by molecular distillation (433). A proof in favor of this mechanism is that when a large excess of butyllithium is added to (161) at -78°C and the solution is allowed to warm to room temperature, the deuterolysis affords only dideuterated thiazole (170), with no evidence of any dimeric product. Under these conditions almost complete dianion formation results (169), and the concentration of nonmetalated thiazole is nil. (Scheme 79). This dimerization bears some similitude with the formation of 2-methylthia-zolium anhydrobase dealt with in Chapter DC. Meyers could confirm the independence of the formation of the benzyl-type (172) and the aryl-type... 

The formation of bromine-free 4,5 -bipyrimidines from 5-bromopyrimidines and butyl-lithium by the Strekowski reaction is discussed above (Section 2.13.2.2.9). It should be distinguished from a single example wherein 5-bromopyrimidine and butyllithium give 5-bromo-3,4-dihydro-4,5 -bipyrimidine (484) and on oxidation, 5-bromo-4,5 -bipyrimidine (485) <65ACS(19)1741>. 

The first proton to be removed from iV-methylpyrrole by w-butyllithium is from an a-position a second deprotonation occurs to give a mixture of 2,4- and 2,5-dilithiated derivatives. The formation of a 2,4-dilithio derivative is noteworthy since in the case of both furan and thiophene initial abstraction of a proton at C-2 is followed by proton abstraction from C-5 (77JCS(P1)887). iV-Methylindole, benzo[6]furan and benzo[6]thiophene are also deprotonated at C-2. Selenophene and benzo[6]selenophene and tellurophene and benzo[6]tellurophene similarly yield 2-lithio derivatives (77AHC(21)119). 

Most other studies have indicated considerably more complex behavior. The rate data for reaction of 3-methyl-l-phenylbutanone with 5-butyllithium or n-butyllithium in cyclohexane can be fit to a mechanism involving product formation both through a complex of the ketone with alkyllithium aggregate and by reaction with dissociated alkyllithium. Evidence for the initial formation of a complex can be observed in the form of a shift in the carbonyl absorption band in the IR spectrum. Complex formation presumably involves a Lewis acid-Lewis base interaction between the carbonyl oxygen and lithium ions in the alkyllithium cluster. 

Azaferrocene is methylated by n-butyllithium with subsequent treatment with methyl iodide resulting in formation of 25-27 [83JOM(251)C41]. The acetyl-ated complex Ti -(3-acetyl-2,4-dimethylpyrrolyl)cyclopentadienyliron was also described [74JOM(77)69]. The stmcture of 2-methylazaferrocene was studied extensively (69AG150 96JOC7230 97JA1492 97JOC444). 

In a modified procedure the free carboxylic acid is treated with a mixture of mercuric oxide and bromine in carbon tetrachloride the otherwise necessary purification of the silver salt is thereby avoided. This procedure has been used in the first synthesis of [1.1.1 ]propellane 10. Bicyclo[l.l.l]pentane-l,3-dicarboxylic acid 8 has been converted to the dibromide 9 by the modified Hunsdiecker reaction. Treatment of 9 with t-butyllithium then resulted in a debromination and formation of the central carbon-carbon bond thus generating the propellane 10." ... 

One such compound, bropirimine (112), is described as an agent which has both antineo-plastic and antiviral activity. The first step in the preparation involves formation of the dianion 108 from the half ester of malonic acid by treatment with butyllithium. Acylation of the anion with benzoyl chloride proceeds at the more nucleophilic carbon anion to give 109. This tricarbonyl compound decarboxylates on acidification to give the beta ketoester 110. Condensation with guanidine leads to the pyrimidone 111. Bromination with N-bromosuccinimide gives bropirimine (112) [24]. 

Because carbonyl compounds are only weakly acidic, a strong base is needed for enolate ion formation. If an alkoxide such as sodium ethoxide is used as base, deprotonation takes place only to the extent of about 0. l% because acetone is a weaker acid than ethanol (pKa - 16). If, however, a more powerful base such as sodium hydride (NaH) or lithium diisopropylamide ILiNO -CjHy ] is used, a carbonyl compound can be completely converted into its enolate ion. Lithium diisopropylamide (LDA), which is easily prepared by reaction of the strong base butyllithium with diisopropylamine, is widely used in the laboratory as a base for preparing enolate ions from carbonyl compounds. 

In contrast to the intermediate hydroxystannanes, O-protected stannanes 7 are stable compounds which can be distilled or chromatographed and stored under nitrogen for months. Treatment of 7 with butyllithium in tetrahydrofuran at — 78,JC results in rapid tin/lithium exchange (< 1 min). No products resulting from Wittig rearrangement or formation of an ate complex 8 could be detected9. 

The influence of 1,2-asymmctric induction on the exchange of diastereotopic bromine atoms has also been investigated22,23. Thus, treatment of the / -silyloxydibromo compound 15 with butyllithium at — 110°C in the presence of 2-methylpropana led to products 17-19 after the reaction mixture was warmed to 20 °C. The distribution of the products indicates that the diastereomeric lithium compounds 16 A and 16B were formed in a ratio of 84 16, with 16A being kinetically favored by 1,2-asymmetric induction. Formation of the m-configurated epoxide (cis,anti-18) was slowed to such an extent that its formation was incomplete and a substantial amount of the parent bromohydrin 17 remained. The analogous m.yyn-configurat-ed epoxide was not observed. Presumably for sterie reasons, the parent bromohydrin did not cyclize to the epoxide but instead led to the ketone 1923. 

The preparation of (Z)-2-hutenylpotassium from (Z)-2-butene is analogous to that described for the /T-reagent with the following modification upon completion of the butyllithium addition, the mixture is warmed to —20° to —25 r C for 30-45 min before being recooled to —78 C. This ensures near quantitative formation of (Z)-2-butenylpotassium. Temperature control is less critical since (Z)-2-butenylpotassium is highly favored at equilibrium (99 l)15. However, preparative experiments have not been performed in which ( )-2-butene is metalated under conditions that permit complete isomerization of ( )-2-butenyl-potassium to (Z)-2-butenylpotassium. 

The preparation of cyclopentadienes with up to four trimethylsilyl groups can be performed easily on a large scale starting with monomeric cyclopentadiene by repeated metalation with n-butyllithium and treating the resulting anion with chlorotrimethylsilane [84], Any complication caused by formation of regioisomers does not occur, since all trimethylsilyl-substituted cyclopentadienes are fluxional by virtue of proto- and silatropic shifts [85], Upon deprotonation with n-butyllithium the thermodynamically most favorable anion is formed selectively (Eqs. 20, 21). Thus, metalation of bis(trimethylsilyl)cyclopentadiene 74, which exists preferentially as the 5,5-isomer, selectively affords the 1,3-substituted anion 75. Similarly, tris(trimethylsilyl)cyclopentadiene 76, which is found to be mainly as the 2,5,5-isomer, affords the 1,2,4-substituted anion 77. 

Treatment of diallenyl sulfone 354 with n-butyllithium resulted in a cyclodimerization to afford 2,6-dithiaadamantane derivative 356. This dimerization is considered to be initiated by formation of the a-sulfonyl carbanion 355 and to proceed through a carbanion walk or carbanion tour process426. 

A pentane solution of terf-butyllithium (purchased from either Alfa Inorganics, Inc. or Lithium Corporation of America, Inc.) was standardized by one of the previously described titration procedures (Note 1). If possible, it is desirable to use a freshly opened bottle of lert-butyllithium since previously used bottles of this reagent often contain lithium ferf-butoxide which will lead to formation of a contaminant in the final product (Note 10). 

---