The “anion translocation” reaction, in which an organolithium compound formed under kinetic control undergoes an inter- or intramolecular proton transfer, offers an easy entry to new organolithium compounds that are difficult to obtain following the traditional lithiation methods. 1 α-Oxygen carbanions are unstable 2 and usually undergo protophilic cleavage (elimination) or [1,2]-Wittig rearrangement, 3 which consists of the isomerization of these carbanions to metal ...
