tert-Butyllithium aldimine, an acyl anion equivalent derived from 1, 1, 3, 3-tetramethylbutyl isocyanide (TMBI) and tert-butyllithium, couples with aryl, vinyl, and acetylenic halides to give the corresponding ketimine which upon hydrolysis affords the corresponding ketones. These coupling reactions appear to result from halogen-metal exchange followed by addition-elimination to give the observed products.
[Diaz-Valenzuela, M. Belen; Phillips, Scott D.; France, Marcia B.; Gunn, Mary E.; Clarke, Matthew L. Chemistry - A European Journal, 2009 , vol. 15, # 5 p. 1227 - 1232]
