STRUCTURE AND REACTIVITY OF LITHIUM DIISOPROPYLAMIDE IN THE PRESENCE OF N,N,N',N'-TETRAMETHYLETHYLENEDIAMINE

Lithium diisopropylamide (LDA) crystallizes from N,N,N',N'-tetramethylethylenediamine (TMEDA)/hexane mixtures as an infinite array of dimers linked by bridging (nonchelating) TMEDA ligands. Li-6 and N-15 NMR spectroscopic studies reveal that LDA in neat TMEDA exists as a cyclic dimer bearing a single eta-1-coordinated TMEDA ligand on each lithium. The equilibrium of solvent-free LDA and the TMEDA-solvated dimer shows a very strong temperature dependence. TMEDA coordinates readily only at low temperature. High TMEDA concentrations are required to saturate the lithium coordination spheres at ambient temperatures. One equivalent of THF readily displaces TMEDA from the coordination sphere to produce the dimeric LDA/THF solvate characterized previously. Kinetics of metalation of 2-methylcyclohexanone N,N-dimethylhydrazone monitored by Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy are consistent with a rapid, spectroscopically undetectable dimer-monomer preequilibrium followed by rate-limiting proton transfer. The reaction rate is independent of the TMEDA concentration. Related spectroscopic and rate studies using dimethylethylamine lacking the capacity to chelate show strong parallels with the TMEDA data. We conclude that TMEDA chelates of LDA are of no measurable consequence throughout the reaction coordinate. MNDO calculations of THF and TMEDA solvates of Me2NLi and LDA monomers and dimers qualitatively support the conclusions derived from the experimental data.