Structure of n-butyllithium in mixtures of ethers and diamines: influence of mixed solvation on 1,2-additions to imines

n-BuLi in diamine/dialkyl ether mixtures forms ensembles of hetero- and homosolvated dimers. Solutions in TMEDA/THF (TMEDA = N,N,N',N'-tetramethylethylenediamine) are not amenable to detailed investigation because of rapid ligand exchange. TMCDA/THF mixtures (TMCDA = trans-N,N,N',N'-tetramethylcyclohexanediamine) afford clean assignments for a mixture of homo- and heterosolvated dimers but demonstrate poor control over structure. TMCDA/tetrahydropyran (THP) mixtures and TMEDA/Et2O mixtures afford clean structural assignments as well as excellent structural control. Rate studies of the 1,2-addition of n-BuLi using TMCDA/THP mixtures reveal cooperative solvation in which both THP and TMCDA coordinate to lithium at the monomer- and dimer-based transition structures. The two mechanisms are affiliated with markedly different stereochemistries of the 1,2-addition to imines. The results show strong parallels with previous investigations of 1,2-additions in TMEDA/Et2O mixtures.