A new method, which is a one-flask procedure involving addition of substituted aryllithium reagents 6 to vinyl sulfones 8 and 9 followed by spontaneous intramolecular alkylation of the resulting a-lithio sulfones, has been developed for the annulation of tetrahydronaphthalene moieties onto preexisting carbon frameworks. The aryllithium reagents employed in this study are the previously investigated intermediates obtained by the chemoselective ...