Formation of mixed aryl–, alkyl–lithium aggregates in the heteroatom assisted lithiation of α,α′-dialkyl substituted 1,3-bis[(dimethylamino)methyl]benzene1These results were presented in part at the Symposium `Frontiers in Organometallic Chemistry' at the Spring 1997 American Chemical Society meeting in San Francisco.12Dedicated to Prof. Ken Wade on the occasion of his 65th birthday, thanking him for his `rules', discussions and long friendship.2