Transient Phosphenium and Arsenium Ions versus Stable Stibenium and Bismuthenium Ions

Photogeneration and Direct Observation of a 2H-phosphirene and a Closed-shell Singlet Arylphosphenium Ion

Phosphenium ions are highly reactive species with the formula of RR'P+. Although phosphenium ions were proposed as the invaluable intermediates of various important chemical processes, the methods to generate and characterize them were very limited. In this study, a novel photoprecursor to give rise to the arylphosphenium ions, 1-(naphthalen-2-yl)phosphirane, was synthesized and investigated by femtosecond to nanosecond transient absorption spectroscopies, photoproduct analysis, and density functional theory calculations. Subsequent to photoexcitation, the S1 state of the photoprecursor of interest is populated from the higher excited states, accompanied by the generation of an unexpected 2H-phosphirene, 7bH-naphtho[1,2-b]phosphirene. After that, the resulted 2H-phosphirene is protonated by H2O in the solvent to generate the naphthalen-2-yl(hydryl)phosphenium ion, which can be attacked by H2O and oxidized by O2 to give naphthalen-2-ylphosphinic acid as the major final product. The presence of these transient species is supported by density functional theory calculation and control experiments with different solvents. This study provides an understanding of the reactivity of arylphosphenium ions as well as 2H-phosphirenes, and provides a novel method to generate and characterize these reactive species, which may help to further reveal their reactivity and explore their chemistry and use in a range of applications.

Synthesis, Structures, and Properties for PIII-Doped Hetero-Buckybowls and Their Phosphonium Salts

Doping polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons with heteroatoms enables manipulation of their electronic structures. Herein, the structures and properties of phosphorus (P) doped heterosumanenes (HSEs) are regulated by varying the valence states of P-dopant. The phosphine sulfide (PV) and chalcogens (S, Se, Te) co-doped HSEs (1-3) are reduced to trivalent phosphorus (PIII) doped analogues 4-6. Then, the PIII-dopants on 4-6 are converted to phosphonium salts (R4P+), giving 7-9. The valence states of P-dopant show great influence on molecular geometries and electronic structures. Taking P and S co-doped HSEs as example, bowl-depths increase in the order of 1 (PV)<7 (R4P+)<4 (PIII), and the HOMO energy levels and HOMO-LUMO gaps increase to be 7<1<4. Consistent with the theoretical calculation, the first oxidation potentials decrease and the absorption/emission bands show blue shift from 7 to 1 to 4. The transformation of PV to PIII leads to large variations on the coordination with Ag+, owing to the alteration of coordination site from P=S to PIII. The phosphonium salts show ring-opening of phosphole rings under electrochemical reduction. It is found that chalcogen atoms play pivotal roles on coordination patterns of coordination complexes and the conversion rates of ring-opening reactions.

Recent advances in the chemistry of isolable carbene analogues with group 13-15 elements

Carbenes (R2C:), compounds with a divalent carbon atom containing only six valence shell electrons, have evolved into a broader class with the replacement of the carbene carbon or the RC moiety with main group elements, leading to the creation of main group carbene analogues. These analogues, mirroring the electronic structure of carbenes (a lone pair of electrons and an empty orbital), demonstrate unique reactivity. Over the last three decades, this area has seen substantial advancements, paralleling the innovations in carbene chemistry. Recent studies have revealed a spectrum of unique carbene analogues, such as monocoordinate aluminylenes, nitrenes, and bismuthinidenes, notable for their extraordinary properties and diverse reactivity, offering promising applications in small molecule activation. This review delves into the isolable main group carbene analogues that are in the forefront from 2010 and beyond, spanning elements from group 13 (B, Al, Ga, In, and Tl), group 14 (Si, Ge, Sn, and Pb) and group 15 (N, P, As, Sb, and Bi). Specifically, this review focuses on the potential amphiphilic species that possess both lone pairs of electrons and vacant orbitals. We detail their comprehensive synthesis and stabilization strategies, outlining the reactivity arising from their distinct structural characteristics.

Kinetically Stabilized Diarylpnictogenium Ions

The newly prepared and fully characterized stibenium and bismuthenium ions [R_ind MesE]⁺ (E=Sb, Bi; R_ind =dispiro[fluorene-9,3'-(1',1',7',7'-tetramethyl-s-hydrindacen-4'-yl)-5',9''-fluorene) were rigorously compared to the previously communicated phosphenium and arsenium ions (E=P, As) as well as the bis(m-terphenyl) pnictogenium ions [(2,6-Mes₂ C₆ H₃ )₂ E]⁺ (E=Sb, Bi). It is demonstrated that the choice of the aryl substituents dramatically effects the molecular structures (e. g. the primary E-C bond lengths) and the electronic structures (e. g. the energy of the LUMOs).

Cationic Carbene Analogues: Donor-Free Phosphenium and Arsenium Ions

Carbenes and their analogues have constantly enthralled chemists with their intriguing reactivity of ambiphilic character stemming from their electronic structures. Phosphenium and arsenium ions are fiercely reactive cationic species, the stabilization of which has been so far achieved in the condensed phase by dispersing the positive charge through electromeric conjugation with at least one electron-rich substituent (frequently amido groups). Although observed in the gas phase, the isolation of dicoordinate phosphenium and arsenium ions lacking such stabilizing ligands has eluded chemists for decades. Herein we show that by judicious choice of aromatic substituents, dicoordinate, donor-free, Lewis-superacidic phosphenium and arsenium ions can be kinetically stabilized. They feature singlet electronic ground states possessing a vacant p-orbital and an electron lone pair with predominantly s-character.

Isolation of an Antiaromatic 9-Hydroxy Fluorenyl Cation

Fluorenyl cations are textbook examples of 4π electron antiaromatic five-membered ring systems. So far, they were reported only as short-lived intermediates generated under superacidic conditions or by flash photolysis. Attempts to prepare a m-terphenyl acylium cation by fluoride abstraction from a benzoyl fluoride gave rise to an isolable 9-hydroxy fluorenyl cation that formed by an intramolecular electrophilic attack at a flanking mesityl group prior to a 1,2-methyl shift and proton transfer to oxygen.

Reversible Silylium Transfer between P-H and Si-H Donors

The Mo=PR₂ π* orbital in a Mo phosphenium complex acts as acceptor in a new P^III -based Lewis superacid. This Lewis acid (LA) participates in electrophilic Si-H abstraction from E₃ SiH to give a Mo-bound secondary phosphine ligand, Mo-PR₂ H. The resulting Et₃ Si⁺ ion remains associated with the Mo complex, stabilized by η¹ -P-H donation, yet undergoes rapid exchange with an η¹ -Si-H adduct of free silane in solution. The equilibrium between these two adducts presents an opportunity to assess the role of this new LA in catalytic reactions of silanes: is the LA acting as a catalyst or as an initiator? Preliminary results suggest that a cycle including the Mo-bound phosphine-silylium adduct dominates in the catalytic hydrosilylation of acetophenone, relative to a putative cycle involving the silane-silylium adduct or "free" silylium.

Intramolecular Reaction of Transient Phosphenium and Arsenium Ions Giving Rise to Isolable 9-Phospha- and 9-Arsena-Fluorenium Ions

Transient phosphenium and arsenium ions, generated by fluoride abstraction from bis(m-terphenyl)fluoropnictogens, underwent intramolecular electrophilic attack prior to methyl group migration and gave rise to isolable 9-phospha- and 9-arsena-fluorenium ions.

The Bis(ferrocenyl)phosphenium Ion Revisited

The bis(ferrocenyl)phosphenium ion, [Fc₂P]⁺, reported by Cowley et al. (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1981, 103, 714–715), was the only claimed donor‐free divalent phosphenium ion. Our examination of the molecular and electronic structure reveals that [Fc₂P]⁺ possesses significant intramolecular Fe⋅⋅⋅P contacts, which are predominantly electrostatic and moderate the Lewis acidity. Nonetheless, [Fc₂P]⁺ undergoes complex formation with the Lewis bases PPh₃ and IPr to give the donor–acceptor complexes [Fc₂P(PPh₃)]⁺ and [Fc₂P(IPr)]⁺ (IPr=1,3‐bis(2,6‐diisopropylphenyl)imidazole‐2‐ylidene).

Transient Phosphenium and Arsenium Ions versus Stable Stibenium and Bismuthenium Ions

Fluoride abstraction from bis-m-terphenylelement fluorides (2,6-Mes2 C6 H3 )2 EF (E=P, As) generated the highly reactive phosphenium ion [(2,6-Mes2 C6 H3 )2 P]+ and the arsenium ion [(2,6-Mes2 C6 H3 )2 As]+ , which immediately underwent intramolecular electrophilic substitution and formation of an 1,2,4-trimethyl-6-mesityl-5-m-terphenyl-benzo[b]phospholium ion and an 1,2,4-trimethyl-6-mesityl-5-m-terphenyl-benzo[b]arsolium ion, respectively. The formation of the latter involved a methyl group migration from the ortho-position of a flanking mesityl group to the meta-position. This reactivity of [(2,6-Mes2 C6 H3 )2 E]+ (E=P, As) is in sharp contrast to the related stibenium ion [(2,6-Mes2 C6 H3 )2 Sb]+ and bismuthenium ion [(2,6-Mes2 C6 H3 )2 Bi]+ , which have been recently isolated and fully characterized (Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2018, 57, 10080-10084). On the basis of DFT calculations, a mechanism for the rearrangement of the phosphenium and arsenium ions into the phospholium and arsolium ions is proposed, which is not feasible for the stibenium and bismuthenium ions.