CERIUM(III) CHLORIDE REMARKABLY INCREASES THE RATES OF FORMATION AND YIELDS OF KETONES IN THE REACTION OF LITHIUM CARBOXYLATES WITH ORGANOLITHIUMS

The presence of CeCl3 greatly increases the yield of ketones in the re action of organolithiums with lithium carboxylates. The Ce-III suppres ses the enolization of the lithium carboxylate, previously unrecognize d as a competing reaction except in special cases, and the formation o f tertiary alcohols. One of the reasons for the latter effect is a sur prising increase in the rate of addition of the organometallic to the lithium carboxylate in the presence of Ce-III.