Reactions of a phosphavinyl Grignard reagent with main group mono-halide compounds

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).

Reaction of an allylstannylene with adamantyl phosphaalkyne

The reaction of a terphenyl tin(ii) compound bearing an η³ coordinating allyl ligand with adamantyl phosphaalkyne is reported.

“GaI”: A versatile reagent for the synthetic chemist

The current renaissance in main group chemistry has been fuelled by the remarkable array of fundamentally interesting yet synthetically applicable low oxidation state p-block compounds that have appeared over the last decade. Their syntheses generally require the ready availability of low oxidation state element halide precursors. In the case of gallium this is provided by the simple to prepare reagent, "GaI", which since it was first reported in 1990, has been utilised in areas as varied as organic synthesis and gallium cluster construction. This article tracks the history of this extraordinary material and highlights its synthetic diversity; hopefully allowing the reader to envisage its application to aspects of their own research fields.