New reagents take the burn out of butyllithium

New bench-stable tert- and n-butyllithium formulations in poly(α-olefin) solvents, developed by Merck KgaA, should make organometallic chemistry safer and more accessible. The new reagents don’t ignite or smoke in air, making them easier to handle and less prone to degradation on storage, while maintaining performance across a range of reaction types.