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Weak Acid Solutions

Weak Acid Solutions

Few compounds act as strong acids. A far greater number of compounds behave as weak acids and only partially react with water, leaving a large majority of dissolved molecules in their original form and generating a relatively small amount of hydronium ions. Weak acids are commonly encountered in nature, being the substances partly responsible for the tangy taste of citrus fruits, the stinging sensation of insect bites, and the unpleasant smells associated with body odor. A familiar example of a...

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Aldehydes and Ketones to Alkenes: Wittig Reaction Overview

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The Wittig reaction is the conversion of carbonyl compounds-aldehydes and ketones-to alkenes using phosphorus ylides, or the Wittig reagent. The reaction was pioneered by Prof. Georg Wittig, for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

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Updated: Jun 11, 2026

Preparation and Reactivity of a Triphosphenium Bromide Salt: A Convenient and Stable Source of Phosphorus(I)

Preparation and Reactivity of a Triphosphenium Bromide Salt: A Convenient and Stable Source of Phosphorus(I)

Published on: November 22, 2016

Solvent-free mesityllithium: solid-state structure and its reactivity towards white phosphorus.

Alexander Hübner¹, Thomas Bernert, Inge Sänger

¹Institut für Anorganische Chemie, Goethe-Universität, Max-von-Laue-Str. 7, D-60438, Frankfurt, Germany.

Dalton Transactions (Cambridge, England : 2003)

|July 9, 2010

Summary

Donor-free mesityllithium forms polymeric chains in the solid state. This organolithium compound reacts with tin and phosphorus reagents, yielding stannylated mesitylene and a novel tetraphosphide, respectively.

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Preparation and Reactivity of a Triphosphenium Bromide Salt: A Convenient and Stable Source of Phosphorus(I)

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Area of Science:

Organometallic Chemistry
Solid-State Chemistry
Inorganic Synthesis

Background:

Donor-free organolithium compounds are crucial synthetic intermediates.
Understanding the structural and reactive properties of mesityllithium is important for developing new synthetic methodologies.

Purpose of the Study:

To synthesize and characterize donor-free mesityllithium.
To investigate the solid-state structure and reactivity of mesityllithium with electrophilic reagents.
To explore the formation of novel organometallic compounds.

Main Methods:

Synthesis of mesityllithium from mesityl bromide and n-butyllithium.
X-ray powder diffraction for solid-state structure determination.
X-ray crystallography for analyzing reaction products.

Main Results:

Donor-free mesityllithium forms polymeric chains in the solid state with short Li-C contacts.
Reaction with trimethyltin chloride yields stannylated mesitylene.
Reaction with white phosphorus produces a tetraphosphide compound, Li(3)P(4)Mes(3).

Conclusions:

The structural characterization reveals unique polymeric arrangements in donor-free mesityllithium.
The reactivity studies demonstrate the utility of mesityllithium in forming new organometallic and inorganic compounds.
The synthesis of the tetraphosphide highlights new avenues in phosphorus chemistry.