Dis-assembling lithium amide ladder structures: new insight through the structure of [{[PhCH2N(H)Li](2)center dot thf}(infinity)], a polymer of (NLi)(2) planar rings connected by thf-bridged (NLi)(2) butterfly junctions

One can visualise how the novel hemi-solvated polymeric ladder structure of the title compound would dis-assemble at its long, weak cisoid-(NLi)2 butterfly junctions on further solvation, to release transoid-(NLi)2 planar dimeric rings, the expected product of full solvation.