Solutions of 2-lithio-5-methylthiophene (4) were characterized using DNMR techniques and shown to be a mixture of monomer and dimer in THF Et2O (3: 2). The hypervalent iodine ate complex 5 (Ar2I Li+), a presumed intermediate in the Li I exchange with 2-iodo-5- methylthiophene, was observed by 13C and 7Li NMR spectroscopy at low temperatures (130° C). At higher temperatures, the ate complex coalesced with 2-lithio-5- ...