1-Carbamoyloxy-1-lithio-indene complexes of (À)-sparteine and (À)-a-isosparteine 5/epi-5 and 6/epi-6 were prepared and found to be configurationally unstable on the macroscopic time scale. Ratios of epimers and the rates of interconversion, including some activation parameters, were determined by temperature-dependent line shape analysis in the 1 H NMR spectrum. The highest barrier for interconversion (DDH = b 25 kcal mol À1 ) was recorded for the 2-methylindenide/(À)-sparteine complexes 5 b/epi-5 b, whereas the activation energy for the epimerisation of the indenide/(À)-a-isosparteine complex 6 a/epi-6 a is too low to be recorded by this method. Trapping of the lithium compounds 5/epi-5 and 6/epi-6 proceeds with methyl iodide in an anti-S E ' process.The obtained enantiomeric ratios correlate roughly with the observed epimeric ratios in the lithium intermediates. The absolute configurations of the methylation products 7 c and 7 d have been established by chemical correlation with the known ()-(S)-3-methyl-1H-indan-1-one. The ratios correspond well to those predicted by semiempirical PM3 calculations on the relative stability of the diastereomeric complexes.