The reaction of different five- or six-membered nitrogen-containing heterocycles such as N-isopropyl-2-phenylpyrrolidine ( 1), N-phenyl-3-pyrroline ( 6), N-phenylisoindoline ( 10), N-phenyltetrahydroisoquinoline ( 13) and N-methyltetrahydroisoquinoline ( 19) with an excess of lithium powder and a catalytic amount of DTBB (4.5 mol %), followed by treatment with electrophiles [H 2O, D 2O, MeI, CH 2CHCH 2Br, Pr iCHO, Bu tCHO, PhCHO, Me 2CO, Pr nCOMe, PhCOMe, (CH 2) 4CO, (CH 2) 5CO, CO 2] and final hydrolysis gives a wide series of functionalised amines 3, 8, 9, 12 and 19, the key step in the process, being the reductive opening of the starting material giving a dianionic remote functionalised organolithium compound.