SEC-BUTYLLITHIUM Chemical Properties

Density 

0.769 g/mL at 25 °C

Flash point:

1 °F

storage temp. 

2-8°C

form 

Liquid

color 

Clear colorless

Sensitive 

Air & Moisture Sensitive

BRN 

3587206

Exposure limits

ACGIH: TWA 100 ppm
OSHA: TWA 300 ppm(1050 mg/m3)
NIOSH: IDLH 1300 ppm; TWA 300 ppm(1050 mg/m3)

InChIKey

VATDYQWILMGLEW-UHFFFAOYSA-N

CAS DataBase Reference

598-30-1(CAS DataBase Reference)

EPA Substance Registry System

Lithium, (1-methylpropyl)- (598-30-1)

Safety Information

Hazard Codes 

F,C,N

Risk Statements 

11-15-17-34-50/53-65-67-66-51/53-14/15

Safety Statements 

26-36/37/39-43-45-60-61-62-33-16

RIDADR 

UN 3394 4.2/PG 1

WGK Germany 

2

F 

1-10

TSCA 

Yes

HazardClass 

4.3

PackingGroup 

I

HS Code 

29319090

MSDS

• Language:English Provider:SigmaAldrich
• Language:English Provider:ACROS
• Language:English Provider:ALFA

SEC-BUTYLLITHIUM Usage And Synthesis

Description

sec-Butyllithium. [598-30-1], sec-C4H9Li, Mr 64.06, is a spontaneously flammable, colorless, viscous liquid that forms tetramers in hydrocarbon solvents. It is commercially available only as 12 % solution in cyclohexane and methylcyclohexane. sec-Butyllithium is more nucleophilic and decomposes more readily than n-butyllithium. A 12 % solutionin cyclohexane at 20 ℃ undergoesthermal decomposition to the extent of 1.4 % of the active material per month. The thermal decomposition yields butene gas and LiH; the latter is insoluble and responsible for the increasing turbidity of secbutyllithium solutions on prolonged storage. Therefore solutions of sec-butyllithium must be kept cool during storage and transportation.

Chemical Properties

sec-Butyllithium is a colorless crystalline solid or clear yellowish solution. It is more reactive than n-butyllithium. Its solutions are unstable and decompose about 10 to 15 times as fast as n-butyllithium under the same conditions.

Uses

sec-Butyllithium is used almost exclusively as a polymerization catalyst. It is more expensive than n-butyllithium and is used mainly because of its greater reactivity and faster polymerization initiation.

Preparation

sec-Butyllithium is produced by the reaction of sec-butyl chloride with lithium metal dispersion in hydrocarbon solvents. The lithium metal should contain catalytic amounts of up to 2 % sodium metal to attain a rapid reaction with the chloride and to minimize coupling. Massive substitution of sodium metal for lithium metal as is done in the preparation of n-butyllithium results in lower yields. Isopentane, hexane and cyclohexahe are typical solvents. Industrial and laboratory preparations are similar.

SEC-BUTYLLITHIUM(598-30-1)Related Product Information

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• sec-Butyllithium, 1.3M in cyclohexane, packaged under Argon in resealable ChemSeal bottles
• LITHIUM METHOXIDE
• 2-Butanol
• sec-Butylamine
• Buntane-2-boronic acid
• DL-2-Octanol
• 2-Pentanol
• SEC-BUTYLBENZENE
• Sodium alkylbenzene sulfonate
• Sodium phytate
• ISOBUTYLLITHIUM
• tert-Butyllithium
• Lithium bis(trimethylsilyl)amide
• (TRIMETHYLSILYL)METHYLLITHIUM
• Aluminium tri-sec-butoxide
• SEC-BUTYLMAGNESIUM BROMIDE
• SEC-BUTYLMAGNESIUM CHLORIDE