The first asymmetric organolithium tetramers with simple ether donor bases

The donor-free trimethylsilylmethyllithium [LiCH(2)SiMe(3)](6) hexameric aggregate is for the first time broken up by simple ether donors such as diethyl ether (Et(2)O) and tert-butylmethyl ether ((t)BuOMe) to give the unprecedented asymmetric tetramers while the chelating dimethoxyethane (DME) gives the expected dimer.