Coordination Behavior of Sterically Protected Phosphaalkenes on the AuCl Moiety Leading to Catalytic 1,6-Enyne Cycloisomerization

Mes*-substituted 2,3-dimethyl-1,4-diphosphabuta-1,3-diene, 1,2-diphenyl-3,4-diphosphinidenecyclobutene, 2,2-bis(methylsulfanyl)-1-phosphaethene, and 3,3-diphenyl-1,3-diphosphapropenes (Mes* = 2,4,6-tri-tert-butylphenyl) were employed as P ligands of gold(I) complexes. The (E,E)-2,3-dimethyl-1,4-diphosphabuta-1,3-diene functioned as a P2 ligand for digold(I) complex formation with or without intramolecular Au-Au contact, which depends on the conformation of the 1,3-diphosphabuta-1,3-diene. The 1,2-diphenyl-3,4-diphosphinidenecyclobutene, which has a rigid s-cis P=C-C=P skeleton, afforded the corresponding digold(I) complexes with a slight distortion of the planar diphosphinidenecyclobutene framework and intramolecular Au-Au contact. In the case of the 2,2-bis(methylsulfanyl)-1-phosphaethene, only the phosphorus atom coordinated to gold, and the sulfur atom showed almost no intra- or intermolecular coordination to gold. On the other hand, the 1,3-diphosphapropenes behaved as nonequivalent P2 ligands to afford the corresponding mono- and digold(I) complexes. Some phosphaalkene-gold(I) complexes showed catalytic activity for 1,6-enyne cycloisomerization without cocatalysts such as silver hexafluoroantimonate.

Catalytic applications of transition-metal complexes bearing diphosphinidenecyclobutenes (DPCB)

The preparation and characterization of sterically protected diphosphinidenecyclobutenes bearing two two-coordinate phosphorus atoms are described from the viewpoint of the development of a novel type of bidentate ligand for transition-metal complexes. They form complexes with group 6 metals such as chromium, molybdenum and tungsten, group 8 metals such as ruthenium, group 10 metals such as palladium and platinum, and group 11 metals such as copper and gold. Some of them can be used as catalysts for synthetic reactions such as cross-coupling of the Sonogashira type, Suzuki-Miyaura coupling, Ullmann coupling, Kosugi-Migita-Stille coupling, cyanation, polymerization of ethylene, dehydrogenative hydrosilylation of ketones, hydroamination of 1,3-butadienes, and direct alkylation or amination of allylic alcohols of Tsuji-Trost reactions.

Structural and coordination properties of 1,2-bis(cyclopropyl)-3,4-bis(2,4,6-tri-tert-butylphenyl)-3,4-diphosphinidenecyclobutene prepared by dehydrogenative homocoupling of 3-cyclopropyl-1-(2,4,6-tri-tert-butylphenyl)-1-phosphaallene

According to a protocol for the synthesis of phosphaallenes we recently established, 3-cyclopropyl-1-(2,4,6-tri-tert-butylphenyl)-1-phosphallene was obtained from (Z)-2-bromo-3-cyclopropyl-1-(2,4,6-tri-tert-butylphenyl)-1-phosphapropene. A novel bidentate ligand, 1,2-bis(cyclopropyl)-3,4-bis(2,4,6-tri-tert-butylphenyl)-3,4-diphosphinidenecyclobutene, was prepared by oxidative homocoupling of 3-cyclopropyl-1-(2,4,6-tri-tert-butylphenyl)-1-phosphaallene in the presence of butyllithium, together with the generation of hydrogen gas. The 1,2-bis(cyclopropyl)-3,4-diphosphinidenecyclobutene was allowed to react with (tht)AuCl (tht = tetrahydrothiophene) to afford the corresponding digold(I) complex of a six-membered metallacycle containing the P=C-C=P skeleton. The molecular structures of the 2-bromo-3-cyclopropyl-1-phosphapropene, 1,2-bis(cyclopropyl)-3,4-diphosphinidenecyclobutene and the digold complex were unambiguously determined by X-ray crystallography and are discussed from the point of view of the cyclopropyl conjugation.

Synthesis and Redox Properties of Crowded Triarylphosphines Possessing Ferrocenyl Groups

Crowded triarylphosphines possessing ferrocenyl groups [(4-ferrocenyl-2,6-diisopropylphenyl)(n)(2,4,6-triisopropylphenyl)(3-n)P (5a, n = 1; 5b, n = 2; 5c, n = 3)] were synthesized by the reaction of the corresponding arylcopper(I) reagents with the diarylchlorophosphines. Structures of the triarylphosphines were studied by 1H, 13C, and 31P NMR spectroscopies, and the characteristic patterns of the proton signals of the 2,6-isopropyl groups and upfielded 31P chemical shifts suggest structural similarities of the triarylphosphine moiety to the previously reported tris(2,4,6-triisopropylphenyl)phosphine (2). X-ray crystallography of 5c also revealed that the structure around the phosphorus is similar to that of 1, where the average bond angle and length around the phosphorus atom are 110.8 degrees and 1.854 A, respectively. According to the electrochemical measurements, phosphines 5a, 5b, and 5c are reversibly oxidized in two, three, and four steps, respectively, which suggests significant electronic interaction among the triarylphosphine and the ferrocene redox centers as well as weak interaction among the ferrocene redox centers. The EPR spectra obtained at cryogenic temperature after oxidation of phosphines 5a, 5b, and 5c are superpositions of those for the cation radicals of the crowded triarylphosphine and ferricinium. The solution spectra obtained at 293 K, which consist of two lines typical of the cation radical of the crowded triarylphosphines, become weaker as the number of the ferrocenyl groups increases and the cation radical of 5c does not show EPR signals. These findings suggest not only instability of the tetra(cation radical) of 5c but also the course of oxidation where the ferrocenyl groups in the periphery of the molecules are oxidized at first.

Synthesis of phosphorus ylides bearing a P-H bond from a kinetically stabilized 1,3,6-triphosphafulvene

In mixing 2,4,6-tris(2,4,6-tri-tert-butylphenyl)-1,3,6-triphosphafulvene with alkyllithium compounds and acetic acid, both of nucleophilic alkylation and electrophilic protonation occurred at the exo sp2-phosphorus atoms to afford [2,4-bis(2,4,6-tri-tert-butylphenyl)-1,3-diphosphacyclopentadienylidene](alkyl)(2,4,6-tri-tert-butylphenyl)phosphoranes which are phosphorus ylides that bear a P-H bond. A phosphorus ylide bearing both P-H and P-F bonds was obtained by reaction of 2,4,6-tris(2,4,6-tri-tert-butylphenyl)-1,3,6-triphosphafulvene with hydrogen tetrafluoroborate, and the structure was determined by X-ray crystallography. Both P=C double bond and P(+)-C(-) zwitterionic character was indicated by the metric parameters. The isolated phosphorus ylide bearing a P-H bond, [2,4-bis(2,4,6-tri-tert-butylphenyl)-1,3-diphosphacyclopentadienylidene](2,4,6-tri-tert-butylphenyl)phosphorane, showed no isomerization by H-migration to the corresponding phosphinodiphospholes, probably due to the pi-accepting ability of the unsaturated PC bonds and aromaticity of the C3P2 ring. The ylide structure and aromaticity of 2,4-diphosphacyclopenta-2,4-dienylidenephosphorane was characterized by theoretical calculations. In addition, the regioselective protonation of the lithiated phosphinodiphospholes generated from the 1,3,6-triphosphafulvene is discussed.

Phosphaquinomethane and Phosphathienoquinomethanes, and Their Anion Radicals

Phosphaquinomethane and phosphathienoquinomethanes sterically protected by Mes* (Mes* = 2,4,6-tri-tert-butylphenyl) were synthesized by 1,6-dehydration of the corresponding 4-phosphinoaryl carbinols. Structural similarities to the conventional quinoid compounds were revealed by 1H, 13C, and 31P NMR study and further confirmed by X-ray crystallography of the phosphathienoquinomethane. The corresponding anion radicals were generated by reduction with sodium, and considerable delocalization of an unpaired electron was demonstrated by EPR.