Sciencemadness Discussion Board

lithium amide?

carbon chloride - 22-8-2009 at 14:40

I'm just wondering since I noticed lithium amide is pretty easy to make, how exactly does it work... does it react with alcohols in the manner of LiNH2 + R-OH > LiOH + R-NH2?

DJF90 - 22-8-2009 at 14:57

No it would deprontonate to form NH3 and LiOR

carbon chloride - 22-8-2009 at 15:14

oh, ok then. That makes sense.

[Edited on 22-8-2009 by carbon chloride]

JohnWW - 22-8-2009 at 21:03

The amide anion, in a suitable solvent, is a very powerful nucleophile, and so would be expected to react with electron-deficient molecules. In particular, it adds across the double bond of substituted ethylenes to form an amine which is also a lithium salt, and this adds onto another molecule of the substituted ethylene, and so on - anionic polymerization.

[Edited on 24-8-09 by JohnWW]

carbon chloride - 23-8-2009 at 00:45

ah that's interesting that it can add across double bonds... can't think of any particular applications of this yet but will keep it in mind thanks.