Low-valent forms of iron, tungsten, and titanium, produced by treatment of the metal chlorides with butyllithium at-78 OC, are useful deoxygenation catalysts for the conversion of 1, Cendoxides to the corresponding arenes in a single step. In some instances, particularly with highly substituted endoxides, other reactions may interefere. For example, with methyl substituents at C2 and C3 and with reduced iron, reduction of the C 2 4 3 double bond ...
