Latent Nucleophilic Carbenes

Using DFT and ab initio calculations, we demonstrate that noncyclic formamidines can undergo thermal rearrangement into their isomeric aminocarbenes under rather mild conditions. We synthesized the silylformamidine, for which the lowest activation energy in this process was predicted. Experimental studies proved it to serve as a very reactive nucleophilic carbene. The reactions with acetylenes, benzenes, and trifluoromethane proceeded via insertion into sp, sp², and sp³ CH bonds. The carbene also reacted with the functional groups, such as CHO, COR, and CN at double or triple bonds, displaying high mobility of the trimethylsilyl group. The obtained silylformamidine can be considered as a latent nucleophilic carbene. It can be prepared in bulk quantities, stored, and used when the need arises. Calculation results predict similar behavior for some other silylated formamidines and related compounds.

Dichlorophosphoranides Stabilized by Formamidinium Substituents

Dichlorophosphoranides featuring N,N-dimethyl-N′-arylformamidine substituents were isolated as individual compounds. Dichlorophosphoranide 9 was prepared by the multicomponent reaction of C-trimethylsilyl-N,N-dimethyl-N′-phenylformamidine and N,N-dimethyl-N′-phenylformamidine with phosphorus trichloride. Its molecular structure derived from a single-crystal X-ray diffraction was compared to the analogous dibromophosphoranide prepared previously by us by the reaction of phosphorus tribromide with N,N-dimethyl-N′-phenylformamidine. It was shown that a chlorophosphine featuring two N,N-dimethyl-N′-mesitylformamidine substituents reacted with hydrogen chloride to form dichlorophosphoranide 11. Its molecular structure was also determined by X-ray analysis and compared with that of closely related dichlorophosphoranide C.