Lithium phenolates solvated by tetrahydrofuran and 1,2-dimethoxyethane: structure determination using the method of continuous variation.

The method of continuous variation in conjunction with (6)Li NMR spectroscopy was used to characterize lithium phenolates solvated by tetrahydrofuran and 1,2-dimethoxyethane. The strategy relies on the formation of ensembles of homo- and heteroaggregated phenolates. The symmetries and concentration dependencies of the heteroaggregates attest to the aggregation numbers of the homoaggregates. The structurally diverse phenols afford substrate- and solvent-dependent combinations of lithium phenolate monomers, dimers, trimers, tetramers, and pentamers. We discuss the refinement of protocols for characterizing O-lithiated species. Computational studies examine further the substituent and solvent dependencies of aggregation.