title: Structure of n-butyllithium in mixtures of ethers and diamines: influence of mixed solvation on 1,2-additions to imines.
abstract: n-BuLi in diamine/dialkyl ether mixtures forms ensembles of hetero- and homosolvated dimers. Solutions in TMEDA/THF (TMEDA = N,N,N',N'-tetramethylethylenediamine) are not amenable to detailed investigation because of rapid ligand exchange. TMCDA/THF mixtures (TMCDA = trans-N,N,N',N'-tetramethylcyclohexanediamine) afford clean assignments for a mixture of homo- and heterosolvated dimers but demonstrate poor control over structure. TMCDA/tetrahydropyran (THP) mixtures and TMEDA/Et2O mixtures afford clean structural assignments as well as excellent structural control. Rate studies of the 1,2-addition of n-BuLi using TMCDA/THP mixtures reveal cooperative solvation in which both THP and TMCDA coordinate to lithium at the monomer- and dimer-based transition structures. The two mechanisms are affiliated with markedly different stereochemistries of the 1,2-addition to imines. The results show strong parallels with previous investigations of 1,2-additions in TMEDA/Et2O mixtures.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Baker Laboratory, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853-1301, USA.
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Qu
authors.forename: David B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Collum