Several examples can be found in organic syntheses.
Below lithium–halogen exchange is a step in the synthesis of morphine. Here n-butyllithium is used to perform lithium–halogen exchange with bromide. The nucleophilic carbanion center quickly undergoes carbolithiation to the double bond, generating an anion stabilized by the adjacent sulfone group. An intramolecular S2 reaction by the anion forms the cyclic backbone of morphine.
Lithium–halogen exchange is a crucial part of Parham cyclization. In this reaction, an aryl halide (usually iodide or bromide) exchanges with organolithium to form a lithiated arene species. If the arene bears a side chain with an electrophillic moiety, the carbanion attached to the lithium will perform intramolecular nucleophilic attack and cyclize. This reaction is a useful strategy for heterocycle formation. In the example below, Parham cyclization was used to in the cyclization of an isocyanate to form isoindolinone, which was then converted to a nitrone. The nitrone species further reacts with radicals and can be used as "spin traps" to study biological radical processes.