Prior to the work of Meyers' v2 using the oxazdine functionality as an activating group, the direct metalation of pyridine was limited to a few example^.^^^ The Meyers method gives a regioselective metalation of the 3-position of 4-(4, 4-dimethyloxazolinyl-2-yl) pyridine by methyllithium and the 4-position of 3-(4, 4-dimethyloxazolinyl-2-y1) pyridine by lithium amide. Very recently, regioselective lithiation of ethyl esters of nicotinic and isonicotinic ...
