Tetralithiomethane, also known as tetralithium carbide, is an organolithium compound with the formula . It is an extremely pyrophoric red solid and is the lithium analog of methane.[1]
Its main route of production is by the lithiation of tetrakis(chloromercurio)methane by tert-butyllithium. It can also be produced by the reaction of lithium metal and carbon tetrachloride at 900 °C:[2]
However, this method also produces byproducts, such as lithium carbide.
Tetralithiomethane hydrolyzes vigorously in contact with water producing methane gas and lithium hydroxide:
Deuterated methane can also be produced by reacting heavy water with tetralithiomethane.
When tetralithiomethane is heated to 225 °C, it decomposes to lithium carbide and lithium metal.
Due to the known affinity of lithium ions for hydrogen molecules and therefore potential applications in hydrogen storage materials, tetralithiomethane has been studied computationally for its aggregation, affinity, and binding to various graphene-type surfaces.[3]