Isolation of a Kinetically Stabilized 1,3,6-Triphosphafulvene This work was supported in part by a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (No. 09239101) from the Ministry of Education, Science, Sports and Culture, Japan

Substituent Effect versus Aromaticity─A Curious Case of Fulvene Derivatives

A computational study on amino- and nitro-substituted penta- and heptafulvenes reveals the interplay between the aromaticity and the substituent effect (SE). Ring substitution alone has little influence on the aromaticity, but in combination with an exo substituent of opposite properties, it substantially enhances the cyclic π-electron delocalization. Despite the SE being stronger for β substitution, only γ substitution leads to higher aromaticity. An explanation is provided by the electron density of delocalized bonds (EDDB) method, which proves to be a valuable tool in analyzing both cyclic delocalization and the SE.

2H-Phosphindole-Enabled Dearomatization and [4+2] Cycloaddition of (Hetero)Arenes

The heavier main group multiple bonds offer an effective tool for small molecule activation. Transient 2H-phosphinidole working as a reactive phosphadiene system undergoes phospha-Diels-Alder reaction with a wide range of non-activated aromatic carbocycles and heterocycles, including naphthalene, anthracene, phenanthrene, furan, thiophene, pyrrole, pyridine, and benzo-fused heterocycles, affording concise access to a range of polycyclic fused rings feature with phosphorus at the bridgehead. These results demonstrate that non-activated (hetero)arenes are capable of acting as 2π systems in [4+2] cycloaddition with highly reactive 2H-phosphindole complex.

A Boratafulvene

Structurally authenticated free B-alkyl boroles are presented and electronic implications of alkyl substitution were assessed. Deprotonation of a boron-bound exocyclic methyl group in a B-methyl borole yields the first 5-boratafulvene anion-an isomer to boratabenzene. Boratafulvene was structurally characterized and its electronic structure probed by DFT calculations. The pKa value of the exocyclic B-CH3 in a set of boroles was computationally approximated and confirmed a pronounced acidic character caused by the boron atom embedded in an anti-aromatic moiety. The non-aromatic boratafulvene reacts as a C-centered nucleophile with the mild electrophile Me3 SnCl to give a stannylmethyl borole, regenerating the anti-aromaticity. As nucleophilic synthons for boroles, boratafulvenes thus open an entirely new avenue for synthetic strategies toward this highly reactive class of heterocycles. Boratafulvene reacts as a methylene transfer reagent in a bora-Wittig-type reaction generating a borole oxide.

FeCl2 Catalyzed Three-Component Reactions of Phospholes, Pyrrolidine, and Ketones (Aldehydes): Chemoselective Synthesis of 1-Phosphafulvenes

We have developed an unprecedented approach for the synthesis of transient 1-phosphafulvenes through three component reactions of phospholes. The generation of 1-phosphafulvenes was demonstrated by in situ [6 + 4] cycloaddition with 2H-phospholes and [6 + 6] self-dimerization. The [6 + 4] and [6 + 6] reaction pathway could be modulated by the starting ketones and aldehydes. The construction of 1-phosphafulvenes is illustrated by a proposed mechanism combining nucleophilic addition of phospholide to the iminium or isomerized azomethine ylide and a [1,5]-shift of phosphole.

Nonbenzenoid aromaticity of 1-phosphafulvenes: synthesis of phosphacymantrenes

The coordination chemistry of 1-phosphafulvenes was investigated by employing their [6 + 4] adducts or α-C₂-bridged biphospholes as a precursor. Unbridged phosphacymantrenes arise from 1-phosphafulvenes via proton abstraction. α-C₂-bridged biphosphacymantrenes are probably yielded by the reductive coupling of 1-phosphafulvene with Mn₂(CO)₁₀. The coordination behavior of 1-phosphafulvenes is comparable to that of pentafulvenes, which again demonstrates the phosphorus-carbon analogy in low-coordinate organophosphorus chemistry.

Generation and Trapping of a 1-Phosphafulvene: An Illustration of the P═C/C═C Analogy

1-Phosphafulvenes can be easily generated by dissociation of dimers resulting from the reaction of phospholes with aldimines. As electron-rich partners, they act as 4π phosphadienic systems toward alkenes and alkynes in [4 + 2] cycloaddition reactions. As electron-poor partners, they act either as 2π systems toward conjugated dienes in [2 + 4] cycloaddition reactions via their P═C double bond or as 6π systems toward phosphadienes in [6 + 4] cycloaddition reactions.

Chemical Detection of Hydrogen Fluoride by the Phosphorus Congener of Cyclobutane-1,3-diyl

Heteroaryl-substituted air-tolerant 2,4-bis(2,4,6-tri-t-butylphenyl)-1,3-diphosphacyclobutane-2,4-diyls in the open-shell singlet state were synthesized by a sterically promoted regioselective S(N)Ar process. Here we demonstrate that these diyls are effective for capturing hydrogen fluoride (HF) generated by intermediary base-coordinated HF and amine-stabilized HF reagents. The hydrofluorination reaction predominantly occurred on the λ(3)σ(3)-phosphorus atoms to afford the energetically disfavored 1λ(5),3λ(5)-diphosphete. The positively charged t-butyl-substituted phosphorus atom trapped the fluoride anion, and the subsequent protonation was controlled by the steric effect. X-ray crystallographic analysis and an Atoms in Molecule study of the air-stable 1λ(5),3λ(5)-diphosphete bearing P-H and P-F bonds revealed that the delocalized ylidic linkages in the four-membered ring were almost identical, in contrast to the nonsymmetrically substituted 2,4-bis(2,4,6-tri-t-butylphenyl)-1,3-diphosphacyclobutane-2,4-diyl. Hydrofluorination efficiently induced a remarkable exchange of visible photoabsorption. The charge-transfer-type transition from highest occupied molecular orbital to lowest unoccupied molecular orbital was highly tuned, which is advantageous for the facile identification of HF. In contrast to hitherto known trapping reagents for HF based on cleavage of the H-F bond, several hydrofluorinated P-heterocycles were reconverted into the 1,3-diphosphacyclobutane-2,4-diyl by treatment with sodium hydride. However, in the hydrofluorination of the benzoyl-substituted 1,3-diphosphacyclobutane-2,4-diyl, fluorination and protonation occurred at the t-butyl-substituted phosphorus atom and the skeletal carbon atom, respectively, and the energetically preferable 1λ(5),3λ(3)-dihydrodiphosphete was isolated as a purple-blue crystalline compound. These findings are promising not only for the practical detection of HF but also for the development of fluorine technology based on the chemistry of phosphorus heterocycles.

Acetylene-expanded dendralene segments with exotopic phosphaalkene units

Bis-TMS protected C,C-diacetylenic phosphaalkene (A(2)PA) 1 (Mes*P=C(C≡CTMS)(2); Mes* = 2,4,6-tBu(3)Ph) has been used as a building block for the construction of butadiyne-expanded dendralene fragments in which phosphaalkenes feature as exotopic double bonds. Treatment of 1 with CuCl gives rise to a Cu(I) acetylide that is selectively formed at the acetylene trans to the Mes* group. The cis-TMS-acetylene engages in similar chemistry, albeit at higher temperatures and longer reaction times. The differentiation between the two acetylene termini of 1 allows for the controlled synthesis of the title compounds by a variety of different Cu- and Pd-catalyzed oxidative acetylene homo- and heterocoupling protocols. Crystallographic characterization of A(2)PA 1 and dimeric Mes*P=C(C≡CR(1))C(4)(R(2) C≡C)C=PMes* (3b, R(1) = R(2) = Ph; 6, R(1) = R(2) = TMS), and 10 (R(1) = R(2) = C≡CPh) verifies that the stereochemistry across the P=C bond is conserved during the coupling reactions, whereas spectroscopic evidence reveals cis/trans isomerization in an iodo-substituted A(2)PA intermediate 4 (Mes*P=C(C≡CTMS)(C≡CI). UV/Vis spectroscopic and electrochemical studies reveal that efficient π conjugation operates through the entire acetylenic phosphaalkene framework, even in the cross-conjugated dimeric structures. The P centers contribute considerably to the frontier molecular orbitals of the compounds, thereby leading to smaller HOMO-LUMO gaps than in all-carbon-based congeners. Phenyl- and/or ethynylphenyl substituents at the A(2)PA framework influence the HOMO and LUMO to a varying degree depending on their relationship to the Mes* group, thus enabling a fine-tuning of the frontier molecular orbitals of the compounds.

Formation of Phosphaethyne Dimers: A Mechanistic Study

High-level ab initio (CCSD(T), CBS-QB3 and CASSCF, CASPT2, MR-ACPF, MR-ACPF-2) and density functional theory (B3LYP) calculations were carried out to study the dimerization of phosphaacetylene or phosphaethyne (HCP). Seventeen low energy closed-shell and five open-shell phosphaacetylene dimers were found on the potential energy surface. Two head-to-head, one head-to-tail and three other dimerization reaction pathways were determined, all with high activation barriers, suggesting that closed-shell minima are usually kinetically stable. An open-shell head-to-head reaction pathway has also been found with moderate initial barrier (95.0 kJ mol(-1)) leading to 1,2- and 1,3-diphosphacyclobutadiene, suggesting that polymerization of HCP and oligomerization of its derivatives have open-shell mechanism. Formation of 1,2-diphosphacyclobutadiene is both thermodynamically and kinetically favored over 1,3-diphosphacyclobutadiene. A head-to-head reaction involving LiBr as a catalyst was also studied. It has been pointed out that LiBr catalyze the closed-shell mechanism. All the four possible reaction channels of this reaction yield 1,4-diphosphatriafulvene with a fairly low activation Gibbs-free energy (44.8 kJ mol(-1)), suggesting that this compound could be synthesized. This finding fully supports the experimental results.

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.

Electronic spectra and structures of d2 molybdenum-oxo complexes. Effects of structural distortions on orbital energies, two-electron terms, and the mixing of singlet and triplet states

Molybdenum-oxo ions of the type [Mo(IV)OL(4)Cl](+) (L = CNBu(t), PMe(3), (1)/(2)Me(2)PCH(2)CH(2)PMe(2)) have been studied by X-ray crystallography, vibrational spectroscopy, and polarized single-crystal electronic absorption spectroscopy (300 and ca. 20 K) in order to investigate the effects of the ancillary ligand geometry on the properties of the MotriplebondO bond. The idealized point symmetries of the [Mo(IV)OL(4)Cl](+) ions were established by X-ray crystallographic studies of the salts [MoO(CNBu(t)())(4)Cl][BPh(4)] (C(4)(v)), [MoO(dmpe)(2)Cl]Cl.5H(2)O (C(2)(v)), and [MoO(PMe(3))(4)Cl][PF(6)] (C(2)(v)()); the lower symmetries of the phosphine derivatives are the result of the steric properties of the phosphine ligands. The Motbd1;O stretching frequencies of these ions (948-959 cm(-)(1)) are essentially insensitive to the nature and geometry of the equatorial ligands. In contrast, the electronic absorption bands arising from the nominal d(xy)() --> d(xz), d(yz) (n --> pi(MoO)) ligand-field transition exhibit a large dependence on the geometry of the equatorial ligands. Specifically, the electronic spectrum of [MoO(CNBu(t)())(4)Cl](+) exhibits a single (1)[n --> pi(xz)(,)(yz)] band, whereas the spectra of both [MoO(dmpe)(2)Cl](+) and [MoO(PMe(3))(4)Cl](+) reveal separate (1)[n --> pi(xz)] and (1)[n --> pi(yz)] bands. A general theoretical model of the n --> pi state energies of structurally distorted d(2) M(triplebondE)L(4)X chromophores is developed in order to interpret the electronic spectra of the phosphine derivatives. Analysis of the n --> pi transition energies using this model indicates that the d(xz) and d(yz) pi(MotriplebondO) orbitals are nondegenerate for the C(2)(v)-symmetry ions and the n --> pi(xz) and n --> pi(yz) excited states are characterized by different two-electron terms. These effects lead to a significant redistribution of intensity between certain spin-allowed and spin-forbidden absorption bands. The applicability of this model to the excited states produced by delta --> pi and pi --> delta symmetry electronic transitions of other chromophores is discussed.