Lithium methyl, bonding

The structure and bonding in lithium methyl have been particularly fully studied. The crystal structure consists of interconnected tetrameric units (LiMe)4 as shown in Fig. 4.17 the individual Li4C4 clusters consist of a tetrahedron... 

An attempted synthesis, Scheme 65, of a heterozincate from dimethylzinc and bis (2-pyridyl)methyl lithium gave instead the dimeric [bis (2-pyridyl)methyl methylzinc] complex 84, shown in Figure 43.143 The intermolecular zinc-carbon bond to the bridging carbon atoms is remarkably short (2.269(3) A), while the zinc-methyl bond is slightly elongated (1.974(3) A). 

Spherical-domain models of three-center bonds in localized-molecular-orbital models of a nonclassical carbonium ion, B4CI4, and TaeClfJ have been described 49,52) a drawing of a spherical-domain model of the methyl lithium tetramer, (LiCH, is shown in Fig. 31. Large, outer circles represent domains of electron-pairs of C—H bonds. Solid circles represent domains of Li+ ions. Shaded circles represent 4-center lithium-lithium-lithium-carbon bonds — i.e., electron-pair domains that touch, simultaneously, three lithium ions and the kernel of a carbon atom. The... 

The solvent effect has long been recognized as an important factor in that it affects the lithium-oxygen bond polarization but also the electrophilic reagent380,398. The effect on aggregation was evaluated by measurement and comparison of the reactivities of monomeric, dimeric and tetrameric forms of LiPhIBP and LiPhAT or LiPhIBP in various ethers252. In the less polar solvent methyl-tert-butyl ether, lithium enolates are tetrameric and do not react with benzyl bromide. On the contrary, with added HMPA the dissociation of the tetrameric LiPhIBP is accompanied by solvation of each monomer by 1 -2... 

A study35,36 concerning the ambidentity of the lithium salts of imines resulted in the discovery that the lithium is bonded to the nitrogen, e.g. compare 8 (equation 3). However, the evolution of the products on the carbon or nitrogen is influenced by the nature of the electrophile reactants like methyl iodide that ionize with difficulty will form a six-centered transition state 21 where the C-alkylation product will be evolved after elimination of lithium iodide. In the same way, the intermediate in aldol condensation is 22. 

The low ionic character of the aluminium-silicon bond has been cleverly utilized to develop a very mild, general and effective synthesis of acyl silanes, successful for aliphatic, aromatic, heteroaromatic, a-aUcoxy, a-amino and even a-chiral and a-cyclopropyl acyl sUanes. Acyl chlorides are treated with lithium tetrakis(trimethylsilyl)aluminium or lithium methyl tris(trimethylsilyl) aluminium in the presence of copper(I) cyanide as catalyst to give the acyl silanes in excellent yields after work-up. Later improvements include the use of 2-pyridinethiolesters in place of acyl halides, allowing preparation of acyl silanes in just a few minutes in very high yields indeed (Scheme 9) °, and the use of bis(dimethylphenylsilyl) copper lithium and a dimethylphenylsilyl zinc cuprate species as nucleophiles. 

The styrene double bond in 9(ll)-dehydroestradiol 3-methyI ether (1) or its 8-dehydro counterpart is reduced by potassium or lithium in ammonia without affecting the aromatic ring estradiol 3-methyl ether (2) is formed from both compounds. Reduction of the corresponding 17-ketones occurs with partial or complete reduction of the carbonyl group. Lithium... 

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