Solvent effects on the aggregation state of lithium dialkylaminoborohydrides

DFT calculations were performed to determine the effects of ethereal solvents on the aggregation state of lithium dialkylaminoborohydrides (LABs). The calculations included dimerization energies in the gas phase, with continuum solvation only, microsolvation with coordinating ethereal ligands, and a combination of the microsolvation and continuum models. The continuum model alone overestimates the stability of the dimers, apparently due to the lack of steric effects from the coordinating ethereal ligands. The use of the combined microsolvation and continuum solvation models predicts lithium dimethylaminoborohydride to be a mixture of monomer and dimer in THF, and more sterically hindered lithium aminoborohydrides to exist primarily as monomers. The kinetics of amination of 1-chlorodecane by lithium dimethylaminoborohydride showed no detectable change in reaction rate with time, suggesting that the LAB reagent may exist primarily as a monomer in THF.