A crystal structure determination on the tetrahydrofuran (thf) adduct of tris (phenyldimethylsilyl) methyl-lithium has shown it to be a monomeric species [Li{C(SiMe2Ph)3}(thf)] in which the lithium is covalently bonded to oxygen and to the central carbon of the (Me2PhSi)3C group and interacts strongly with the ipso carbon atom of one of the phenyl groups without significantly distorting the hybridization at that atom.
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Eaborn et al. (1983) studied this question.
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