The reaction between benzyllithium and prochiral 2-ethylpyridine in tetrahydrofuran has been studied. In the presence of N,N,N′,N′′,N′′-pentamethyldiethylenetriamine (PMDTA), it was found that 1-(2-pyridyl)ethyllithium was formed as a PMDTA complex. This complex is mononuclear, with lithium coordinated to the pyridyl nitrogen atom only; there are no short lithium–carbon distances and the structure approaches that of an enamide rather than a carbanion. The complex undergoes spontaneous resolution and forms chiral crystals with two molecules in the asymmetric unit; the two molecules have different configurations at the chirogenic pyridyl nitrogen atoms but share the same chiral conformation of the chelate ring systems. Reaction between benzyllithium and 2-ethylpyridine in tetrahydrofuran in the absence of PMDTA was found to give a high proportion of lithium 4-benzyl-2-ethyl-1,4-dihydropyridinide, and crystals of a dinuclear complex displaying tetrahydrofuran ligands and co-crystallised n-hexane molecules were isolated.
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