Measuring n-Butyllithium Before Reactions

n-Butyllithium must be measured carefully before it is used in a chemical reaction. This experiment shows a simple titration method for finding its accurate concentration. The reagent is an organolithium compound, so it needs special handling in the lab.

n-Butyllithium is very sensitive to air an...

N-butyllithium, abbreviated n-BuLi, is an organolithium reagent that is frequently used as a strong base or as a nucleophile.

N-butyllithium is commercially available as a solution in alkanes such as hexane or heptane. These solutions are stable when properly stored, but still degrade upon aging and exposure to water or oxygen.

When ...