Platinum(II) tetramesityltetraphosphane-1,4-diides

[Na(2)(thf)(4)(P(4)Mes(4))] () (Mes = 2,4,6-Me(3)C(6)H(2)) reacts with one equivalent of [PtCl(2)(cod)] (cod = 1,5-cycloctadiene) or [PtCl(2)(dppe)] (dppe = bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane) to give the corresponding platinum(II) tetramesityltetraphosphane-1,4-diide complexes [Pt(P(4)Mes(4))(cod)] () and [Pt(P(4)Mes(4))(dppe)] (). The Pt-P bonds of these complexes proved to be extraordinarily stable and did not react with insertion reagents such as tert-butyl isocyanide or cyclohexyl isocyanide. Instead, ligand transfer occurred to give [Pt(P(4)Mes(4))(C[triple bond, length as m-dash]NBu(t))(2)] () and [Pt(P(4)Mes(4))(C[triple bond, length as m-dash]NCy)(2)] (). Further reactions of with CO, CS(2), white phosphorus, MeI and ethyl diazoacetate led either to formation of cyclo-P(4)Mes(4) and cyclo-P(3)Mes(3) or to unidentified products, in which no evidence of insertion of these reagents into the Pt-P bond was observed.

Different transmetallation behaviour of [M(P4HR4)] salts toward rhodium(I) and copper(I) (M = Na, K; R = Ph, Mes; Mes = 2,4,6-Me3C6H2)

[K(2)(P(4)Mes(4))] (1) or [Na(2)(THF)(4)(P(4)Mes(4))] (2) (Mes = 2,4,6-Me(3)C(6)H(2)) reacts with one equivalent of HCl and subsequently with 0.5 equivalents of [{RhCl(cod)}(2)] (cod = 1,5-cyclooctadiene) to give a mixture of rhodium complexes, from which [Rh(P(4)HMes(4))(cod)] (3) and the secondary product [Rh(2)(micro-P(2)HMes(2))(mu-PHMes)(cod)(2)] (4) were isolated and characterised by X-ray diffraction studies. Alternatively, the reaction of [K(2)(P(4)Ph(4))] (5) or [Na(2)(THF)(5)(P(4)Ph(4))] (6) with one equivalent of HCl and subsequently with one equivalent of [CuCl(PCyp(3))(2)] (Cyp = cyclo-C(5)H(9)) gave the complex [Cu(4)(P(4)Ph(4))(2)(PH(2)Ph)(2)(PCyp(3))(2)] (7), presumably via disproportionation of the monoanion (P(4)HPh(4))(-).

The (P4HMes4)- Anion: Lability, Fluxionality, and Structural Ambiguity (Mes = 2,4,6-Me3C6H2)

The synthesis and structural characterization of the tetramesityltetraphosphanide anion, (P4HMes4)- (1), is described. It is shown that 1 partially decomposes in solution and displays an unsymmetrical structure in which, depending on conditions, the proton may or may not fluctuate between the terminal P atoms of the P4 chain.