The value of 2 J P–CO as a diagnostic parameter for the structure and thermal reactivity of carbonyl-stabilised phosphonium ylides

Thermal Rearrangement of Thiocarbonyl-Stabilised Triphenylphosphonium Ylides Leading to (Z)-1-Diphenylphosphino-2-(phenylsulfenyl)alkenes and Their Coordination Chemistry

While thiocarbonyl-stabilised phosphonium ylides generally react upon flash vacuum pyrolysis by the extrusion of Ph3PS to give alkynes in an analogous way to their carbonyl-stabilised analogues, two examples with a hydrogen atom on the ylidic carbon are found to undergo a quite different process. The net transfer of a phenyl group from P to S gives (Z)-configured 1-diphenylphosphino-2-(phenylsulfenyl)alkenes in a novel isomerisation process via intermediate λ5-1,2-thiaphosphetes. These prove to be versatile hemilabile ligands with a total of seven complexes prepared involving five different transition metals. Four of these are characterised by X-ray diffraction with two involving the bidentate ligand forming a five-membered ring metallacycle and two with the ligand coordinating to the metal only through phosphorus.

Oxo-Stabilised Phosphonium Ylides as Hydrogen Bond Acceptors

Oxo-stabilised phosphonium ylides are found to form crystalline hydrogen-bonded adducts with aromatic carboxylic acids, as confirmed by X-ray diffraction. There is also strong hydrogen bonding in solution as indicated by 13C NMR spectroscopy and this confirmed adduct formation with acetic acid, benzamide, thiobenzamide, benzyl alcohol, benzenesulfinic acid and diphenylphosphinic acid. The X-ray structure of the benzamide adduct was also determined, showing a hydrogen-bonded dimeric structure. A bis(stabilised ylide) was also prepared and is found to form a complex hydrogen-bonded adduct with benzoic acid, ethanol and water.

Further Studies on the Pyrolytic Domino Cyclization of Stabilized Phosphonium Ylides Bearing an Ortho-Aminophenyl Group

Four new, stabilized phosphonium ylides containing a 2-(benzyl(methyl)amino)phenyl group have been prepared and characterized and are found, upon pyrolysis under gas-phase flow conditions, to lose Ph₃PO and benzyl radicals to afford new heterocyclic products resulting from domino cyclization of both C- and N-centered radicals. Most products arise from processes of the former type and have quinoline, phenanthridine, or ring-fused phenanthridine structures, while in one case, a process of the latter type leads to a benzocarbazole product. The X-ray structure of a 2-(methyl(tosyl)amino)phenyl ylide is also reported.