upon Tyne, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RUOn reaction with one equivalent of methyl-lithium at below -60 "C followed by aqueous quenching, the dibromoamides (5) and (6) were reduced to monobromides (10) and (9). An intermediate could be partially trapped as a mono-deuteride (1 5) by quenching with D20 at low temperature, or as (14) by addition of benzadehyde, but could not be trapped by addition of Me,SiCI or CO, ; however, quenching with D 2 0 after the reaction solution had been warmed to 35 'C led to (10) with no deuterium incorporation. The source of the proton in this last reaction was the solvent, ether. Treatment of (5) with 2 mot equiv. MeLi at -60 "C also led after low-temperature aqueous quenching to (10) ; if the temperature was rapidly raised to 35 'C two products, (20) (major) and (19) (minor), were isolated after quenching. If, however, (5) was treated with 1 mol equiv. MeLi at -60 "C, followed by very slow addition of a second mol equiv. at 35', (1 9) was the major product. The monobromide (1 0) is an intermediate in both these reactions, and indeed leads to (19) and (20) in similar proportions to those from (5) when treated with 1 equiv. MeLi either rapidly or dropwise at 25-35 "C; reaction of (9) with 1 equiv. MeLi leads, however, to the ketone (11 ; X = Me). A second (presumed) diastereoisomer of (14) was also obtained but this could not be effectively separated from a third product,. Compound (14) was unusual in that restricted rotation led t o four doublets in the n.m.r. spectrum for the isopropyl methyl groups, as well as two isopropyl-CH signals. Published on 01 January 1979. Downloaded by UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA on 16/09/2013 13:36:45.* The reaction is more rapid in the presence of TMEDA, being complete in ca. 24 h at 35 "C in ether. TMEDA is known to dramatically increase the rate of metallation by alkyl-lithiums.38