Aryl- and alkenyllithium preparations and copper-catalyzed reaction between the derived magnesium reagents and the monoacetate of 4-cyclopentene-1,3-diol.
[reaction: see text] Aryl- and alkenyllithiums, prepared by halogen-lithium exchange with lithium, exchange with n-(or t-)BuLi, stannane-lithium exchange with n-BuLi, and direct lithiation with n-BuLi, were transformed into magnesium reagents with MgCl2 and subjected to CuCN-catalyzed reaction with the title monoacetate. Except for the halogen-lithium exchange with n-BuLi, the other preparations of the lithium anions were found to be compatible with the CuCN-catalyzed reaction to afford S(N)2-type products efficiently.