Ring opening of heterocycles by an arene-catalyzed lithiation

The ring opening of different three-, four-, five-and six-membered oxygen-, nitrogen- and sulfur-containing saturated heterocycles using lithium and a catalytic amount of an arene (naphthalene or DTBB) yields a series of functionalized organolithium compounds, which, by reaction with different electrophiles, allow the preparation of polyfunctionalized molecules in only one synthetic operation.