Lithium carboxylic acid enediolates are generated efficiently using lithium amides prepared from thienyllithium or butyllithium and either diethylamine, piperazine, N, N′- dibenzylethylenediamine, N-benzylpiperazine or 1, 3, 3-trimethyl-6-azabicyclo [3.2. 1] octane, even in catalytic amounts.
