The deprotonating ability of mixed lithium–zinc or lithium–magnesium–zinc combinations containing amido and alkyl ligands in tetrahydrofuran were compared using anisole as substrate and iodine to quantitatively trap the formed arylmetal species. The results showed that the deprotonating ability is hampered if a Grignard reagent is employed to introduce the alkyl ligand, and is reduced when 2, 2, 6, 6-tetramethylpiperidino ligands are replaced by ...