Intramolecular carbolithiation reactions organolithium intermediates

An enantioselective method for the synthesis of 3-functionalized 2,3-dihydrobenzofuran derivatives via an intramolecular carbolithiation reaction of allyl 2-lithioaryl ethers uses (—)-sparteine as a chiral inductor. A variety of electrophiles can be reacted with the cyclized organolithium intermediate. With certain substrates, however, /3-elimination occurs instead (Equation 140) <2005CEJ5397>. 

The intramolecular carbolithiation of 6-lithio-l-hexene (9) was studied after lithiation of 6-chloro-l-hexene (8) in the presence of a catalytic amount of DTBB (5%). At —78 °C the corresponding organolithium compound 9 is stable, giving the expected products 10 by reaction with different electrophiles. However, when the lithiation step was carried out at — 30 °C a cyclization reaction took place, so that a new organolithium intermediate 11 was formed, which reacted with the same electrophiles to give cyclic products 12 (Scheme 5). ... 

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