The reaction of 2-(chlorophenyl)-1, 3-dioxolanes 1 with an excess of lithium powder and a catalytic amount of naphthalene (5 mol%) in the presence of different carbonyl compounds [tBuCHO, Et2CO,(CH2) 5CO, PhCOMe] as electrophiles (Barbier-type conditions) in THF at− 78° C leads, after hydrolysis with water at the same temperature, to the expected products 3, the corresponding intermediates involved being formyl-or acetyl-phenyl anion equivalents.