Open AccessAbout Bases and Superbases
Author(s) -
Florence Mongin,
Raimondo Maggi,
Manfred Schlösser
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
chimia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.387
H-Index - 55
eISSN - 2673-2424
pISSN - 0009-4293
DOI - 10.2533/chimia.1996.650
Subject(s) - chemistry , potassium , stoichiometry , selectivity , reactivity (psychology) , sodium , proton , superbase , butyllithium , inorganic chemistry , organic chemistry , medicinal chemistry , catalysis , medicine , physics , alternative medicine , pathology , quantum mechanics
Butyllithium requires activation in order to become capable of abstracting a proton from weakly acidic hydrocarbons like cyclopropanes, simple olefins, or arenes. The addition of a stoichiometric amount of potassium tert-butoxide is a most effective means of enhancing the rate of a hydrogen/metal exchange process. The superbasic alkyllithium/potassium alcoholate mixtures are endowed not only with an unsurpassed reactivity but also with a surprisingly high selectivity as evidenced by a series of optionally site-selective arene metalations.