Editing Organolithium reagent (section)

==History and development==
Studies of organolithium reagents began in the 1930s and were pioneered by [[Karl Ziegler]], [[Georg Wittig]], and [[Henry Gilman]]. In comparison with [[Grignard reaction|Grignard (magnesium) reagents]], organolithium reagents can often perform the same reactions with increased rates and higher yields, such as in the case of [[metalation]].<ref name="Eisch2002">{{cite journal|last1=Eisch|first1=John J.|title=Henry Gilman: American Pioneer in the Rise of Organometallic Chemistry in Modern Science and Technology†|journal=Organometallics|volume=21|issue=25|year=2002|pages=5439–5463|issn=0276-7333|doi=10.1021/om0109408}}</ref>
Since then, organolithium reagents have overtaken Grignard reagents in common usage.<ref name =chemorgli>{{cite book|editor = Rappoport, Z. |editor2=Marek, I.|title = The Chemistry of Organolithium Compounds (2 parts)|publisher = John Wiley & Sons, Ltd |year = 2004|isbn = 978-0-470-84339-0}}</ref>