Butyllithium cubane tetramers linked by Li-TMEDA-Li bridges in an infinite, zig-zag chain arrangement: first crystallographic study of a simple butyl compound of an early main group element

Abstract

Herein we report the structure of the crystalline alkyllithium complex [((BU~L~)~.TMEDA(B],u] nLi,n -butyllithium; TMEDA, N,N,NW'-tetramethylethylenediamine)w hich, to the best of our knowledge, is the first crystal structure of a simple butyl derivative of a group 1 (Li, Na, etc.) or a group 2 (Be, Mg, etc.) metal (Le. of formula BunMn or *Bun2Mn).