Collect. Czech. Chem. Commun. 1987, 52, 2710-2716
https://doi.org/10.1135/cccc19872710

Metallation of benzene with the system organolithium compound-potassium tert-pentoxide

Lubomír Lochmann

Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences, 162 06 Prague 6

Abstract

By acting with the system organolithium compound and potassium tert-pentoxide on benzene, phenylpotassium is obtained as the main product, the purity of which is considerably dependent on reaction conditions. The relatively purest phenylpotassium (molar ratio K/Li > 12) can be obtained at a high benzene concentration in the reaction mixture and/or in the presence of diethyl ether. This dependence makes the metallation of benzene differ from a similar metallation of toluene, and it is therefore not possible to suggest general optimal conditions for such a metallation of different substrates yet.