Dimers of thf-solvated lithium anilide and lithium pentafluoroanilide: basic building blocks of lithium amide ladder structures

Abstract

Representing the elementary constituents in the dis-assembling process of lithium amide ladder arrangements, the tetrasolvated dimers [C₆H₅H(H)Li·2thf]₂ and [C₆F₅N(H)Li·2thf]₂ are isolated and cryo-crystallographically characterised, which, based on the unexpected geometries in the solid-state structures, lead to the unaccustomed classification of nitrogen tending to sp² hybridisation in the planar (LiN)₂ four-membered rings.