Optically active alpha-arylalkanoic acids can be prepared by separating the enantiomer from the racemic mixture obtained by using the aforesaid procedures (for example by using optically active bases), or by applying some of said rearrangements to optically active ketals, which have been previously pr...
However, tetraalkylammonium salts tend to undergo Hoffmann elimination in the presence of strong bases, for example uncomplexed carbanions, which leads to chain termination. It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel initiator composition which permits good control of the ...