Butyllithium

Anionic Initiator and Polymerization

The major industrial application of butyllithium is that of an anionic initiator for the manufacture of polyisoprene, polybutadiene and butadiene/styrene copolymers, all of which have gained considerable importance to the rubber and plastics market.

Moreover, butyllithium has become a very valuable tool in the organic synthesis of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), agrochemicals, and electronic materials. Due to its strong base strength it can be used as versatile reagents for the metalation (deprotonation or metal-halogen exchange) of organic substrates.