The Role Played by Phosphorus Hexacoordination in Driving the Stereochemical Outcome of a Phosphination Reaction

Silver(I) Complexes of Two Flexible Bis-phospholane Ligands: Metallamacrocycles, Polymeric Chains, and Metallacryptands

In a 2:2 reaction with silver(I) chloride or bromide, 1,5-bis(1-phospholano)pentane (1a) afforded frame-like macrocyclic structures, with intra- (2, Cl) or intermolecular (3, Br) halido bridges. In contrast, 1,7-bis(1-phospholano)heptane (1b) formed coordination polymers 4a (Cl) and 4b (Br) with bridging bis-phospholane and halido ligands. A unique paddle wheel-type metallacryptand structure 5 was obtained from 1a and silver(I) bromide in a 2:3 reaction (M:L). All complexes were fully characterized by NMR, IR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and X-ray crystallography.

Reactivity Studies on a Diazadiphosphapentalene

The reactivity of diazadiphosphapentalene 1 towards various substrates was investigated. Reaction of 1 with ammonia-borane resulted in transfer hydrogenolysis concomitantly with the cleavage of a P-N bond. By treatment of 1 with 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl (TEMPO), oxidation took place at one of the phosphorus atoms of 1, and a P(V) /P(III) mixed-valence derivative was isolated. At the same time, it was demonstrated that only one of the phosphorus atoms in 1 behaves as an electron donor for electrophiles and Lewis acids. The former afforded an intramolecularly coordinated phosphine-phosphenium species, whereas the latter demonstrates the ligand property of 1. UV irradiation induced rearrangement of 1 into another example of another diazadiphosphapentalene.

First prebiotic generation of a ribonucleotide from adenine, D-ribose and trimetaphosphate

Adenosine monophosphate isomers are obtained by self-assembling of adenine, D-ribose and trimetaphosphate in aqueous solution in good yields. This generation of a ribonucleotide from its three molecular components occurs in a one-pot reaction at room temperature for about 30-40 days and with high chemio-, regio-, and stereo-selectivity. Similar results are obtained with guanine. A mechanism is also proposed.