The directed metalation of arenas and heteroarenes is an important method for the functionalization of these scaffolds. Lithium bases have been used extensively to ortho- metalate various unsaturated systems.[1] The use of magnesium bases pioneered by Eaton etal.[2] has recently found renewed interest.[3] There are a number of useful synthetic applications of lithium magnesiates [4, 5] as well as mixed Mg/Li bases of the type ...
