butüülliitiumi

Butüülliitium, often abbreviated as BuLi, is a class of organolithium compounds widely used in organic chemistry as a strong base and a nucleophile. The general formula for butüülliitium is C4H9Li, where the butyl group is typically n-butyl, sec-butyl, or tert-butyl. These compounds are characterized by a polar carbon-lithium bond, making the carbon atom highly nucleophilic and basic.

Butüülliitium is commercially available as solutions in various hydrocarbon solvents such as hexane, heptane, and cyclohexane. It is a highly reactive substance and must be handled with care due to its pyrophoric nature, meaning it can spontaneously ignite in air. Reactions involving butüülliitium are typically performed under an inert atmosphere, such as nitrogen or argon, to prevent degradation and combustion.

The primary applications of butüülliitium include deprotonation reactions to form carbanions, which can then be used in a variety of synthetic transformations, such as alkylations, additions to carbonyl compounds, and conjugate additions. It is also employed in metal-halogen exchange reactions, where it can replace a halogen atom with a lithium atom, creating another reactive organolithium species. Its versatility makes it an indispensable reagent in the synthesis of complex organic molecules, pharmaceuticals, and materials.