Alkaline-earth-metal arenesulfonates as precursors to organic derivatives of Group 2 metals

Treatment of the readily accessible alkaline-earth-metal arenesulfonates M(OSO2R)2(from MCO3+ 2RSO3H) with one of a range of Li, Na or K organic compounds in tetrahydrofuran (thf) afforded the corresponding alkaline-earth-metal organic compound in high yield, including the novel compounds LiM(OSO2R)2[CH(SiMe3)2](thf) and KM[CH(SiMe3)2]3(thf)3(M = Ca, Sr or Ba; R = C6H4Me-4, C6H2Me3-2,4,6 or C6H4But-4.