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230707

Sigma-Aldrich

n-Butyllithium solution

2.5 M in hexanes

Synonym(s):

n-BuLi, Butyl lithium, Butyllithium solution, Lithium-1-butanide

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About This Item

Linear Formula:
CH3(CH2)3Li
CAS Number:
109-72-8
Molecular Weight:
64.06
Beilstein:
1209227
MDL number:
MFCD00009414
UNSPSC Code:
12352103
PubChem Substance ID:
24853832
NACRES:
NA.22

form

liquid

Quality Level

200

concentration

2.5 M in hexanes

density

0.693 g/mL at 25 °C

storage temp.

2-8°C

SMILES string

[Li]CCCC

InChI

1S/C4H9.Li/c1-3-4-2;/h1,3-4H2,2H3;

InChI key

MZRVEZGGRBJDDB-UHFFFAOYSA-N

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General description

n-Butyllithium (n-BuLi) is an organolithium reagent commonly used as a strong base in organic synthesis. It is also used as a lithium source for a wide range of lithium bases, such as lithium amides, acetylides, and alkoxides.

Application

n-BuLi can be used as a strong base to form corresponding lithium salts by the deprotonation of nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, and carbon acids. Heterocyclic compounds, such as furans, thiophenes, oxazoles, pyrroles, etc, can be lithiated α to the ring heteroatom using n-BuLi. These lithiated salts react in situ with alkyl halides to obtain useful organic compounds by the formation of the C-C bond. n-BuLi is also a useful reagent for lithium–halogen exchange reactions. Synthesis of various other useful reagents such as lithium diisopropylamide (LDA) and diphenylphosphine is done by in situ reaction with n-BuLi In the polymerization of dienes, n-BuLi is employed as an initiator.
The product is also used in the following reactions:      
  • Anionic rearrangement reactions      
  • Metal-halogen interchange and transmetalation reactions
  • Elimination reactions      
  • [1,2]- and [1,4]-Wittig rearrangement reaction      
  • Anionic homo-Fries rearrangement reaction      
  • Asymmetric carbolithiation

Packaging

The 25 mL Sure/Seal™ bottle is recommended as a single-use bottle. Repeated punctures will likely result in decreased performance of product.
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Legal Information

Sure/Seal is a trademark of Sigma-Aldrich Co. LLC

Signal Word

Danger

Hazard Classifications

Aquatic Chronic 2 - Asp. Tox. 1 - Eye Dam. 1 - Flam. Liq. 2 - Pyr. Liq. 1 - Repr. 2 - Skin Corr. 1B - STOT SE 3 - Water-react 1

Target Organs

Central nervous system

Supplementary Hazards

EUH014

Storage Class Code

4.2 - Pyrophoric and self-heating hazardous materials

WGK

WGK 3

Flash Point(F)

-7.6 °F - closed cup

Flash Point(C)

-22 °C - closed cup

Regulatory Listings

Regulatory Listings are mainly provided for chemical products. Only limited information can be provided here for non-chemical products. No entry means none of the components are listed. It is the user’s obligation to ensure the safe and legal use of the product.

PRTR

Class I Designated Chemical Substances

FSL

Group 3: Spontaneously combustible substances and water- reactive materials
Materials containing Alkyl lithium
Hazardous rank II
2nd spontaneously combustible materials and water reactive materials

ISHL Indicated Name

Substances Subject to be Indicated Names

ISHL Notified Names

Substances Subject to be Notified Names

JAN Code

230707-4X25ML:4548173315577
230707-1L:
230707-50ML:4548173304076
230707-PZ:
230707-18L:4548173121017
230707-4X100ML:
230707-4X10ML:
230707-18L-KL:
230707-8L:4548173121031
230707-20L:
230707-BULK:
230707-100ML:4548173121000
230707-VAR:
230707-800ML:4548173121024
230707-18L-C:

Certificates of Analysis (COA)

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n-Butyllithium
Ovaska TV, et al.
eEROS (Encyclopedia of Reagents for Organic Synthesis) (2001)
Microstructure-thermal property relationship of high trans-1, 4-poly (butadiene) produced by anionic polymerization of 1, 3-butadiene using an initiator composed of alkyl aluminum, n-butyl lithium, and barium alkoxide
Benvenuta-Tapia JJ, et al.
Polym. Eng. Sci., 49(1), 1-10 (2009)
Rhodium pincer complexes of 2, 2?-bis (diphenylphosphino) diphenylamine
Winter AM, et al.
Journal of Organometallic Chemistry, 682(1-2), 149-154 (2003)
Deyu Li et al.
The Journal of organic chemistry, 73(6), 2373-2381 (2008-02-26)
A system consisting of a chiral lithium amide and n-BuLi in tol-d(8) solution was investigated with (1)H and (13)C INEPT DOSY, (6)Li and (15)N NMR, and other 2D NMR techniques. A mixed 2:1 trimeric complex was identified as the major
Jennifer L Rutherford et al.
Journal of the American Chemical Society, 124(2), 264-271 (2002-01-10)
6Li and (13)C NMR spectroscopic studies were carried out on [(6)Li]n-BuLi and [(6)Li]PhLi (RLi) in toluene-d(8) containing the following diamines: N,N,N',N'-tetramethylethylenediamine (TMEDA), N,N,N',N'-tetraethylethylenediamine, 1,2-dipyrrolidinoethane, 1,2-dipiperidinoethane, N,N,N',N'-tetramethylpropanediamine, trans-(R,R)-N,N,N',N'-tetramethylcyclohexanediamine, and (-)-sparteine. Dimers of general structure (RLi)(2)S(2) (S = chelating diamine) are formed
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