Action of alkali metals in liquid ammonia on substituted thiophenes

The simultaneous action of lithium and alcohol on-alkyl- or-(-carboxyalkyl)thiophenes in liquid ammonia results in the elimination of sulfur and the formation of ketones, and, respectively, the corresponding ketoalkanoic acids in yields of 40–75%. Unsubstituted thiophene gives only an insignificant amount of a carbonyl compound.Translated from Khimiya Geterotsiklicheskikh Soedinenii, No. 12, pp. 1633–1636, December, 1971.