ESCA studies of carbanionic compounds: Butyllithium in heptane solution and dibutylmercury in the gas phase

Abstract

AbstractTwo organometallic reagents, butyllithium in heptane solution and dibutylmercury in the gas phase, have been studied by means of core electron spectroscopy. The property of particular interest was the charge polarization as reflected by the ESCA shifts. In the butyllithium compound the C1s binding energy is shifted to a lower value by 1·8 eV for C‐1 (situated closest to the Li+ ion) relative to the heptane solvent carbon. This is due to the anionic character of the C‐1. The interpretation of the experiments was supported by comparing the results with ab initio calculations made on geometry‐optimized butyllithium, butyl anion and butane.