Organolithiums quantitative determination

The study of the interactions between organic compounds and aUtali-metal cations, in the gas phase, is related to many topics such as ion solvation, catalysis and molecular recognition. Furthermore, mass spectrometry has been used for the analyses of organolithium compounds and supramolecular assemblies that contain lithium cations. Alkali cationization is an important ionization technique, implemented for the analyses of a wide range of organic compounds. Finally, gas-phase studies are also useful for the quantitative determination of lithium cation affinity. The interaction between lithium cation and organic substances is thus related to different aspects of gas-phase chemistry and mass spectrometry. 

Part of the NMR spectroscopy techniques mentioned in Section IV.B can be used for quantitative determination of organolithium compounds in solution. 

The quantitative analytical aspects of organolithium compounds are considered in two sections, dedicated to elemental analysis of lithium (Section in.A) and determination of the compounds as such (Section in.B). 

In the second step, the organolithium reagent is destroyed with an organic halide (e.g., benzyl chloride or 1,2-dibromoethane). It is supposed that the organolithium reagent reacts quantitatively affording LiCl or LiBr and that the residual base (LiOH and lithium alkoxides) does not react. After hydrolysis with an excess of water, the amount of free (residual) base is determined. 

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