text: Strong bases such as LiNR can be used to deprotonate imines and form metalloenamines.  Metalloenamines can prove synthetically useful due to their nucleophilicity (they are more nucleophilic than enolates). Thus they are better able to react with weaker electrophiles (for example, they can be used to open epoxides.)  Most prominently, these reactions have allowed for asymmetric alkylations of ketones through transformation to chiral intermediate metalloenamines.