An NMR study of 2-lithio-1,3-dithiane and 2-triorganosilyl-, 2-tert-bu
tyl- and 2-phenyl-2-lithiodithianes reveals that all are contact ion p
air species in THF and all become separated ions with excess HMPA. The
dithianes differ greatly in their ease of ion separation, with the pa
rent lithiodithiane the most difficult.