In the course of studies on the organolithium-induced isomerization of benzyl alkyl ethers3 (the U'ittig rearrangement) we observed that benzyl cyclopropylcarbinyl ether underwent isomerization mainly to phen-ylcyclopropylcarbinylcarbinol. This result was of interest since the accepted me~ hanisrn~,~ of the Wittig rearrangement involves cleavage and recombination, with the migrating group ejected as a carbanion (complexed by lithium ion ...
