Here we report the surprising discovery that high-energy vinyl carbocations can be generated under strongly basic conditions, and that they engage in intramolecular sp³ C–H insertion reactions through the catalysis of weakly coordinating anion salts. This approach relies on the unconventional combination of lithium hexamethyldisilazide base and the commercially available catalyst, triphenylmethylium tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)borate. These reagents form a catalytically active lithium species that enables the application of vinyl cation C–H insertion reactions to heteroatom-containing substrates
