Phosphaalkin-Cyclooligomere: von Dimeren zu Hexameren – erste Schritte auf dem Weg zu Phosphor-Kohlenstoff-Käfigverbindungen

Di-tert-butyldiphosphatetrahedrane: Catalytic Synthesis of the Elusive Phosphaalkyne Dimer

While tetrahedranes as a family are scarce, neutral heteroatomic species are all but unknown, with the only reported example being AsP₃. Herein, we describe the isolation of a neutral heteroatomic X₂Y₂ molecular tetrahedron (X, Y=p‐block elements), which also is the long‐sought‐after free phosphaalkyne dimer. Di‐tert‐butyldiphosphatetrahedrane, (tBuCP)₂, is formed from the monomer tBuCP in a nickel‐catalyzed dimerization reaction using [(NHC)Ni(CO)₃] (NHC=1,3‐bis(2,4,6‐trimethylphenyl)imidazolin‐2‐ylidene (IMes) and 1,3‐bis(2,6‐diisopropylphenyl)imidazolin‐2‐ylidene (IPr)). Single‐crystal X‐ray structure determination of a silver(I) complex confirms the structure of (tBuCP)₂. The influence of the N‐heterocyclic carbene ligand on the catalytic reaction was investigated, and a mechanism was elucidated using a combination of synthetic and kinetic studies and quantum chemical calculations.

Electronic structure and bonding in neutral and dianionic boradiphospholes: R'BC2P2R2 (R = H, tBu, R' = H, Ph)

Classical and non-classical isomers of both neutral and dianionic BC(2)P(2)H(3) species, which are isolobal to Cp(+) and Cp(-), are studied at both B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p) and G3B3 levels of theory. The global minimum structure given by B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p) for BC(2)P(2)H(3) is based on a vinylcyclopropenyl-type structure, whereas BC(2)P(2)H(3)(2-) has a planar aromatic cyclopentadienyl-ion-like structure. However, at the G3B3 level, there are three low-energy isomers for BC(2)P(2)H(3): 1) tricyclopentane, 2) nido and 3) vinylcyclopropenyl-type structures, all within 1.7 kcal mol(-1) of each other. On the contrary, for the dianionic species the cyclic planar structure is still the minimum. In comparison to the isolobal Cp(+) and H(n)C(n)P(5-n)(+) isomers, BC(2)P(2)H(3) shows a competition between pi-delocalised vinylcyclopropenyl- and cluster-type structures (nido and tricyclopentane). Substitution of H on C by tBu, and H on B by Ph, in BC(2)P(2)H(3) increases the energy difference between the low-lying isomers, giving the lowest energy structure as a tricyclopentane type. Similar substitution in BC(2)P(2)H(3)(2-) merely favours different positional isomers of the cyclic planar geometry, as observed in 1) isoelectronic neutral heterodiphospholes EtBu(2)C(2)P(2) (E = S, Se, Te), 2) monoanionic heterophospholyl rings EtBu(2)C(2)P(2) (E = P(-), As(-), Sb(-)) and 3) polyphospholyl rings anions tBu(5-n)C(n)P(5-n) (n = 0-5). The principal factors that affect the stability of three-, four-, and five-membered ring and acyclic geometrical and positional isomers of neutral and dianionic BC(2)P(2)H(3) isomers appear to be: 1) relative bond strengths, 2) availability of electrons for the empty 2p boron orbital and 3) steric effects of the tBu groups in the HBC(2)P(2)tBu(2) systems.

Imidovanadium(v) complexes as reaction partners for kinetically stabilized phosphaalkynes: synthesis of 1,2,4-azaphosphavanada(v)-cyclobutenes, 1,3,5-triphosphabenzenes, and 1H-1,2,4-azadiphospholes

Cycloaddition reactions of the kinetically stabilized phosphaalkynes 1 with the imidovanadium(v) trihalides 9 furnish the 1,2,4-azaphosphavanada(v)cyclobutenes 10. The stability of these novel metallacyclic compounds depends solely on the substitutents of the imido unit. Thus, the imidovanadium(v) species 9 with tertiary alkyl groups on the N atom form stable addition products with 1 while in the cases of compounds 9 with a lower degree of substitution at N (primary and secondary alkyl groups) the primarily formed adducts 10 undergo irreversible decomposition to afford the 1H-1,2,4-azadiphospholes 13. Reactions of an excess of the phosphaaalkyne 1 with the vanadium complexes 9 furnish the corresponding triphosphabenzenes 8 in good yields (36-68%). A catalytic reaction course has been demonstrated for the all-tert-butyl system 1a/9a in which the metallacyclic species 10a serves as the catalytically active species. Poisoning of the catalyst leads to a second reaction pathway, which results in formation of the azatetraphosphaquadricyclanes 16. By means of the stepwise use of different phosphaalkynes 1a,b this methodology provides the first access to the differently substituted triphosphabenzenes through cyclotrimerization.