Complexed lithium amides solid-state structures

The major structural types found for lithium amide complexes in the solid state are illustrated in Fig. 34. These comprise ladders of limited extent when the L Li ratio is less than 1 1 (Fig. 34a), dimeric (NLi)2 rings, when this ratio is 1 1 and, usually, when the complexants are monodentate (Fig. 34b), and monomers, both contact-ion pairs (CIPs) and solvent-separated ion pairs (SSIPs) (Fig. 34c). Monomers occur always when there are two or more monodentate complexants per Li. This also is usual with bidentate ligands, and is always found when the ligands have higher denticity. 

III,C,1, which discussed solid-state structures of lithium amide complexes. 

An investigation of lithium diisopropyl amide (LDA) by solid state NMR led to the observation of dramatic differences between the spectra of the solid polymer and the complex crystallized from THF. Li as well as "C and "N MAS spectra showed large sideband patterns in the former case and only a few sidebands in the latter. For both materials X-ray data are available and establish a helix structure for the polymeric material, which is insoluble in hydrocarbon or ethereal solvents, and a dimer structure of the THF complex (25, 26, Scheme 4). The obvious difference between both structures, apart from the solvent coordination in the THF complex, is the magnitude of the structural N-Li-N angle, which is close to 180° in the first case and close to 90° in the second (176° and 107°, respectively). Thus, a large difference for the electric field gradient around the Li cation is expected for the different bonding situations. 

Although the first bis(iminophosphorano)methanides were reported by Elsevier,15 the first structurally characterised examples were reported by Cavell.16 Solvent-free 1 and 2 were prepared from the reaction between the parent methane and lithium or sodium bis(trimethylsilyl)amides in aromatic solvents. By avoiding Lewis base solvents such as ethers, dimeric complexes were isolated. Treatment with excess quantities of alkali metal amide did not effect a second deprotonation, even under reflux conditions over days, which was attributed to the less basic nature of amides compared to alkyls (see section 3.2 below). In addition to the expected methanide-alkali metal bonds, methine C H — Li interactions were observed in 1 in the solid state but the analogous C-H — Na interactions appeared to be weak in 2. 

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