Abstract The synthesis, structure, and bonding of alkali salts of resonance stabilized amides, such as diformylamide (dfa), formylcyanoamide (fca), nitrocyanoamide (nca), and for comparision, the well-known dicyanoamide (dca), are discussed on the basis of experimental and theoretical data. The first structural reports of K (18-crown-6)+ dfa−, K (18- crown-6)+ fca−, Na+ nca−, and Li (TMEDA)+ dca− are presented. Examination of the X-ray ...