The reactions of polystyryllithium and potassium on dimethoxymethyl 1,1-diphenylethylene derivatives were studied in different solvents. In a polar medium, A(3) and A(6) star types were formed according to the stoichiometry, whereas in a nonpolar medium, hyperbranched structures were synthesized. Extensions of an already proposed mechanism in polar and nonpolar media were examined. (C) 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.