Dilithium 2, 2′-methylenebis (4, 6-di-tert-butylphenoxide) can be successfully utilized as a bidentate Lewis acid for simultaneous coordination to carbonyl groups, thereby accelerating the Diels-Alder reactions. The double activation ability of the bidentate lithium reagent toward carbonyls is emphasized in comparison with the corresponding monodentate lithium reagent.
