A Large-Scale Low-Cost Access to the Lithium 2,2,6,6-Tetramethylpiperidide Precursor

Wolff-Kishner-Huang reduction of the cheap 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-4-piperidinone (2) provides the expensive 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine (1), the precursor to lithium 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidide, in high yield. As specified in the detailed protocol, the reaction can be conveniently carried out on a >10 mol laboratory scale.