Title
Introduction
Other Methods
Precedents
Why we were doing this chemistry
Known Methodology
Discovery
Mechanism
Summary of Results
We believe our chemistry to be occurring through the generation
of a highly reactive form of Mg(0), which inserts into the C-O bond
of the epoxide. After insertion, elimination of MgO with concomitant
aromatization yields the final product. This insertion is precedented
in the literature as shown below. Further, generation by other means
of highly reactive Mg as well as other metals can be found in the
excellent review by Rieke, cited below.