Metallation Butyllithium

Although the strongly electron-withdrawing properties of the substituents in compounds 5-7 suggest a base like LDA to be sufficiently strong to effect complete CH3-metallation, butyllithium seems in fact to be required [6-8]. 

The alkylations proceeded much more slowly, when ethyl- or butyllithium in diethyl ether, prepared from the alkyl bromides, had been used for the metallation of allene, in spite of the presence of THF and HMPT as co-solvents. 

Similar results are probably obtained when the metallation of the allenic ether is carried out with butyllithium in hexane-THF or diethyl ether. 

In readily available (see p. 22f.) cyclic imidoesters (e.g. 2-oxazolines) the ot-carbon atom, is metallated by LDA or butyllithium. The heterocycle may be regarded as a masked formyl or carboxyl group (see p. 22f.), and the alkyl substituent represents the carbon chain. The lithium ion is mainly localized on the nitrogen. Suitable chiral oxazolines form chiral chelates with the lithium ion, which are stable at —78°C (A.I. Meyers, 1976 see p. 22f.). 

Competitive metallation experiments with IV-methylpyrrole and thiophene and with IV-methylindole and benzo[6]thiophene indicate that the sulfur-containing heterocycles react more rapidly with H-butyllithium in ether. The comparative reactivity of thiophene and furan with butyllithium depends on the metallation conditions. In hexane, furan reacts more rapidly than thiophene but in ether, in the presence of tetramethylethylenediamine (TMEDA), the order of reactivity is reversed (77JCS(P1)887). Competitive metallation experiments have established that dibenzofuran is more easily lithiated than dibenzothiophene, which in turn is more easily lithiated than A-ethylcarbazole. These compounds lose the proton bound to carbon 4 in dibenzofuran and dibenzothiophene and the equivalent proton (bound to carbon 1) in the carbazole (64JOM(2)304). 

Methylthiophene is metallated in the 5-position whereas 3-methoxy-, 3-methylthio-, 3-carboxy- and 3-bromo-thiophenes are metallated in the 2-position (80TL5051). Lithiation of tricarbonyl(i7 -N-protected indole)chromium complexes occurs initially at C-2. If this position is trimethylsilylated, subsequent lithiation is at C-7 with minor amounts at C-4 (81CC1260). Tricarbonyl(Tj -l-triisopropylsilylindole)chromium(0) is selectively lithiated at C-4 by n-butyllithium-TMEDA. This offers an attractive intermediate for the preparation of 4-substituted indoles by reaction with electrophiles and deprotection by irradiation (82CC467). 

Neutral azoles are readily C-lithiated by K-butyllithium provided they do not contain a free NH group (Table 6). Derivatives with two heteroatoms in the 1,3-orientation undergo lithiation preferentially at the 2-position other compounds are lithiated at the 5-position. Attempted metallation of isoxazoles usually causes ring opening via proton loss at the 3-or 5-position (Section 4.02.2.1.7.5) however, if both of these positions are substituted, normal lithiation occurs at the 4-position (Scheme 21). 

Pyran, 4-arylimino- C NMR, 3, 585 Pyran, 4-arylimino-2,6-dimethyl-synthesis, 3, 762 Pyran, 2-aryloxytetrahydro-X-ray studies, 3, 621 Pyran, 4-benzyl-isomerization, 3, 666 Pyran, 3-bromodihydro-synthesis, 3, 769 Pyran, -bromodihydro-halogen-metal exchange with t-butyllithium, 1, 474 Pyran, 2-bromotetrahydro- H NMR, 3, 579... 

Kyba and eoworkers prepared the similar, but not identical compound, 26, using quite a different approach. In this synthesis, pentaphenylcyclopentaphosphine (22) is converted into benzotriphosphole (23) by reduction with potassium metal in THF, followed by treatment with o "t/20-dichlorobenzene. Lithium aluminum hydride reduction of 23 affords l,2-i>/s(phenylphosphino)benzene, 24. The secondary phosphine may be deprotonated with n-butyllithium and alkylated with 3-chlorobromopropane. The twoarmed bis-phosphine (25) which results may be treated with the dianion of 24 at high dilution to yield macrocycle 26. The overall yield of 26 is about 4%. The synthetic approach is illustrated in Eq. (6.16), below. 

Oxidation of /U-cresol afforded a triphenol 22 which is approximately half the molecule. The central hydroxyl of the triphenol could be selectively methylated and then the compound was ort/ro-brominated and bridged using 1,3-dibromopropane to give 23. Metallation with butyllithium followed by iron catalyzed coupling afforded the macrocycle as indicated. 

The presence of a tnalkylsUyl group in a fluonnated organic compound may be useful to direct further transformations of that matenal Yet m some instances it IS the fluonnated substituent that controls the reactions of the tnalkylsdyl group Contrary to predictions, treatment of tert-hnlyX 3-tnfluoromethyl-6-tnmethylsilyl-phenyl carbamate with rert-butyllithium results m metallation of one of the methyl groups attached to silicon rather than that of the aromatic nng [90] (equation 75)... 

Benzylic carbon-hydrogen bonds in compounds such as methylpentafluoro-benzene, fluoromethylpentafluorobenzene, and difluoromethylpentafluoroben-zene are not capable of metalation by butyllithium Instead nucleophilic substitution of the para fluorines occurs m each example [55] (equation 13)... 

If an excess of butyllithium (2 5 1 molar ratio) is used during metalation, a mixture of butylated naphthyllithium compounds is formed Reactions of this mixture with electrophiles give a mixture ot 6 and 7-butyl-substituted hexa-fluoronaphthalene derivatives in respective ratios of 4 1 [38] (equation 16)... 

To avoid this competing reaction, the metal-halogen exchange is performed in diethyl ether with either secondary or tertiary butyllithium at -60 °C to give the trifluorovinyllithium compound in near quantitative yield [59],... 

Early attempts to metalate 1,1-difluoroethylene with -butyllithium in tetra-hydrofuran or diethyl ether were unsuccessful. Another example whereby the course of the reaction may be altered by substitution of rec-butyllithium in place of n-butyllithium is the metalation of 1,1 -difluoroethylene [60] (equation 26)... 

The metalation of thiophene with n-butyllithium, discovered by Gilman et gives rapidly 2-thienyllithium in almost quantitative... 

The a-selectivity is illustrated by the fact that 2-alkyl-, > 2-methoxy-, > and 2-alkyIthio-thiophenes and alkyl thenyl sul-fides ° are metalated exclusively in the 5-position. In electrophilic aromatic substitution, as previously mentioned, an appreciable amount of 3-substitution is obtained with some of these groups. After acetalization ketones can also be metalated. Thus from the diethyl ketal of 2-acetylthiophene, 2-acetyl-5-thiophenealdehyde was obtained after metalation with n-butyllithium followed by the reaction of the metalorganic compound with A,A -dimethylformamide. ... 

Competitive metalation of thiophene and 2-methylthiothiophene with a deficiency of n-butyllithium gave only 2-methylthio-5-thio-phenecarboxylic acid, showing the activating effect of the methylthio group. ... 

Halogen-metal interconversion between bromothiophenes and n-butyllithium, leading to thienyllithium derivatives and n-butyl bromide, occurs almost instantaneously and in very high yield even at... 

When the bromothiophenes and n-butyllithium are reacted at room temperature, halogen-metal interconversion and metalation occur concurrently to different degrees, and mixtures are obtained. ... 

Thiophenedithiol (170) has been prepared by halogen-metal interconversion between the lithium salt of 4-bromo-3-thiophenethiol and n-butyllithium at —70°C, followed by reaction with sulfur/ IR, NMR, and UV spectra showed that this compound exists in the dithiol form (170). The compound obtained as a by-product in the... 

---