Abstract Treatment of thieno [2, 3-b] pyridine (1a) with n-butyllithium in hexane- tetramethylethylene-diamine at− 70 plus subsequent addition of dimethylformamide produced 2-formyl-Ia (66%). Halogen-metal exchange between 3-bromothieno [2, 3-b] pyridine and n-butyllithium was effected in ether at− 70. Further reaction of the 3-lithio-Ia intermediate with a variety of carbonyl compounds gave 3-substituted thieno [2, 3-b] ...