Research Article

Directed Metalation of Heterocycles, 5-Methoxy-2-phenyloxazol-4-yllithium: An Approach to , -Dehydroamino Acids

Scheme 1

The directed metalation strategy as applied to 5-methoxy-2-phenyloxazole (1), shown reacting with n-BuLi to form the oxazolyllithium I; this reacted with D2O to form 2a (R = D, 88%) and with MeI-TMEDA to form 2b (R = Me, 63%).
452956.sch.001