LiCHCl2 · 3 Pyridine, Structure of a Carbenoid with a Tetrahedral C Atom

CCl bonds approximately 10 pm longer than those in CH2Cl2 are present in LiCHCl2 · 3 C5H5N (1). This and the sum of the bond angles around C (308° excluding the CLi bond) confirms the increased p character of the CCl bonds and thus the pronounced electrophilicity of carbenoids. Calculations on the solvated and nonsolvated carbenoid and the comparison with experimental data reveal the remarkable influence of solvation on structure, stability, and 13C chemical shift, which is useful for predicting the structures of such molecules in solution.