α-Amino carbene or carbenoid formation in the reaction of a tertiary amide with PhMe2SiLi and its insertion into the Si–Li bond of a second equivalent

Abstract

PhMe₂SiLi reacts with tertiary amides, RCONMe₂, to give a carbene, RCNMe₂, or an equivalent carbenoid, which gives enediamines, R(Me₂N)CC(NMe₂)R, in the absence of a strong nucleophile, but is attacked by strong nucleophiles, NuLi, to give lithium reagents R(Me₂N)CLiNu.