Lithium chloride can be used as:
- A source of chloride anion for the conversion of alcohols to alkyl chloride under Mitsunobu conditions.
- An additive in the palladium-catalyzed coupling and carbonylative coupling reactions of organostannanes and vinyl triflates.
- A reagent for the cleavage of protecting groups under mild conditions. It readily converts acetals and ketals to the corresponding carbonyl compounds.
- A reagent in the dehydrohalogenation of α-halocarbonyl compounds to α,β-unsaturated carbonyls compound in the presence of DMF.
LiCl is also used with other reagents:
- LiCl:DIPEA (1:1 molar ratio) is used in Horner–Wadsworth–Emmons alkenation reaction.
- LiCl:Hexamethylphosphoric triamide is used in decarboxylative alkylation and chloride displacement reactions.
- LiCl is used as an additive in solid-phase peptide synthesis because it increases resin swelling and improves the efficiencies of complex coupling steps.