We have found that metal ketyls are capable of not only participating in radical anion substitution [1, 2] and cycloadditions reactions [3] but also adding to carbon dioxide. The reactions of lithium and sodium diphenylketyls and phenyl-4-biphenylylketyls I and II with carbon dioxide in a solvating solvent (tetrahydrofuran) resulted in formation of the corresponding salts of benzilic acid and hydroxy (phenyl)-4-biphenylylacetic acid III and IV.
