X-ray structure of 3-diphenylmethylene-2-(2,4,6-tri-t-butylphenyl)thiaphosphirane 2-sulfide: The first thiaphosphirane withexo-methylene

New Reactivity Patterns in 3H‐Phosphaallene Chemistry [Aryl‐P=C=C(H)‐ t Bu]: Hydroboration of the C=C Bond, Deprotonation and Trimerisation

3H‐Phosphaallenes, R−P=C=C(H)C−R’ (3), are accessible in a multigram scale on a new and facile route and show a fascinating chemical reactivity. BH₃(SMe₂) and 3 a (R=Mes*, R’=tBu) afforded by hydroboration of the C=C bonds of two phosphaallene molecules an unprecedented borane (7) with the B atom bound to two P=C double bonds. This compound represents a new FLP based on a B and two P atoms. The increased Lewis acidity of the B atom led to a different reaction course upon treatment of 3 a with H₂B‐C₆F₅(SMe₂). Hydroboration of a C=C bond of a first phosphaallene is followed in a typical FLP reaction by the coordination of a second phosphaallene molecule via B−C and P−B bond formation to yield a BP₂C₂ heterocycle (8). Its B−P bond is short and the B‐bound P atom has a planar surrounding. Treatment of 3 a with tBuLi resulted in deprotonation of the β‐C atom of the phosphaallene (9). The Li atom is bound to the P atom as demonstrated by crystal structure determination, quantum chemical calculations and reactions with HCl, Cl‐SiMe₃ or Cl‐PtBu₂. The thermally unstable phosphaallene Ph−P=C=C(H)‐tBu gave a unique trimeric secondary product by P−P, P−C and C−C bond formation. It contains a P₂C₄ heterocycle and was isolated as a W(CO)₄ complex with two P atoms coordinated to W (15).

3H-Phosphaallenes Revisited: Facile Synthesis by Hydroalumination of Alkynylphosphines and β-Elimination, Stability and Trapping of Transient Species by Coordination to Transition Metal Atoms

A facile method for the efficient synthesis of 3H-phosphaallenes, R-P=C=C(H)-R', is presented, which comprises treatment of dialkynylphosphines with dialkylaluminium hydrides (hydroalumination) and elimination of aluminium alkynides from intermediate alkenyl-alkynylphosphines. The stability of the phosphaallenes depends on steric shielding by the substituents at phosphorus (aryl or CH(SiMe₃ )₂ groups). Only supermesityl compounds are persistent at room temperature in solution. This simple method starting with easily accessible dialkynylphosphines and commercially available aluminium hydrides (HAlEt₂ , HAliBu₂ ) allows the generation of transient species, which were trapped by coordination to transition metals. The η¹ -coordination via a P-W bond was observed for tungsten, while the side-on coordination via the P=C bond resulted with platinum. Decomposition of the mesityl derivative yielded an unprecedented product, which may be formed by 1,3-H shift to the P atom, hydrophosphination of the P=C bond of a second phosphaallene and formation of a P-P bond.

Chiral Hypervalent, Pentacoordinated Phosphoranes

This review presents synthetic procedures applied to the preparation of chiral (mainly optically active) pentacoordinated, hypervalent mono and bicyclic phosphoranes. The mechanisms of their stereoisomerization and their selected interconversions are also presented.

(σ3,λ5)-Phosphoranes versus (σ3,λ3)-thiaphosphiranes: quantum chemical investigation of products of phosphaalkene sulfurization

By sulfurization of phosphaalkenes (a) either (σ(3),λ(5))-phosphoranes (b) or (σ(3),λ(3))-thiaphosphiranes (c) are formed. In this study, Density Functional Theory (DFT) and coupled cluster (CCSD(T)) calculations have been carried out for model and experimental structures of (σ(3),λ(5))-phosphoranes and (σ(3),λ(3))-thiaphosphiranes to elucidate the factors influencing relative stabilities of b and c. According to the results of quantum chemical calculations, sterically bulky substituents make the phosphorane form more favored. Conversely, electronic effects of the most substituents provide higher stability for thiaphosphirane isomers. The only exception has been found in the cases where the substituent at the phosphorus atom possesses π-donor and σ-acceptor properties (e.g., in the case of amino group) and the substituents at carbon atom exhibit σ-donor/π-acceptor effects (e.g., silyl groups). The stability of the cyclic form c decreases further, if the substituents at the carbon atom are amino groups. In this case, a quite unusual structure has been theoretically predicted, which is considerably different from those of the hitherto known phosphoranes. It indicates a pyramidal configuration at the phosphorus atom and can be conventionally presented as a donor-acceptor adduct of diaminocarbene with thioxophosphine.

Methylene-azaphosphirane as a reactive intermediate

Reaction of the transient phosphinidene complexes R-P=W(CO)5 with N-substituted-diphenylketenimines leads unexpectedly to the novel 2-aminophosphindoles, as confirmed by an X-ray crystal structure determined for one of the derivatives. Experimental evidence for a methylene-azaphosphirane intermediate was found by using the iron-complexed phosphinidene iPr2N-P=Fe(CO)4, which affords the 2-aminophosphindole together with the novel methylene-2,3-dihydro-1H-benzo[1,3]azaphosphole. Analysis of the reaction pathways with DFT indicates that the initially formed methylene-azaphosphirane yields both phosphorus heterocycles by way of a [1,5]- or [1,3]-sigmatropic shift, respectively, followed by a H-shift. Strain underlies both rearrangements, which causes these remarkably selective conversions that can be tuned by changing the substituents.