Broken Promises? On the Continued Challenges Faced in Catalytic Hydrophosphination

In this Perspective, we discuss what we perceive to be the continued challenges faced in catalytic hydrophosphination chemistry. Currently the literature is dominated by catalysts, many of which are highly effective, that generate the same phosphorus architectures, e.g., anti-Markovnikov products from the reaction of activated alkenes and alkynes with diarylphosphines. We highlight the state of the art in stereoselective hydrophosphination and the scope and limitations of chemoselective hydrophosphination with primary phosphines and PH₃. We also highlight the progress in the chemistry of the heavier homologues. In general, we have tried to emphasize what is missing from our hydrophosphination armament, with the aim of guiding future research targets.

Organometallic chemistry and application of palladacycles in asymmetric hydrophosphination reactions

A number of palladacycles containing chiral chelating auxiliaries have been utilized as efficient catalysts for asymmetric hydrophosphination reactions. In all cases, the chiral auxiliaries remained coordinated to the palladium centres throughout the course of the reactions. Despite the presence of a large quantity of powerful tertiary phosphines, which are known to be strong metal ion sequesters, the expected catalyst poisoning was rarely observed in these palladacycle catalyzed processes. This review highlights the unique stereoelectronic features and the important organometallic chemistry of palladacycle catalysts which are essential to their synthetic operations.

Sonochemical synthesis and crystal structure of di-methyl-ammonium bis-[3-carb-oxy-2-(di-methyl-amino)-propano-ato-κ2 N,O 1]chlorido-chromium(II) monohydrate

The title complex, [(CH3)2NH2][Cr(C6H10NO4)2Cl]·H2O, was synthesized sonochemically. The complex anion consists of a chromium(II) ion ligated by two 3-carb-oxy-2-(di-methyl-amino)-propano-ate anions. They coordinate in a bidentate manner, with a carboxyl-ate oxygen atom and the nitro-gen atom cis to each other in the equatorial plane, while the apical position is occupied by a Cl- ion. Hence, the chromium(II) ion is five-coordinate with a quasi-ideal square-pyramidal geometry; τ5 parameter = 0.01. The complex crystallizes as a monohydrate and in the crystal, the water mol-ecule and the di-methyl-ammonium counter-ion link the complex cations via N-H⋯O, N-H⋯Cl, Owater-H⋯O, O-H⋯Owater and O-H⋯O hydrogen bonds, forming a supra-molecular framework. There are also a number of C-H⋯O hydrogen bonds present that reinforce the framework structure. The crystal studied was refined as a racemic twin.

Mechanistic insights into the role of PC- and PCP-type palladium catalysts in asymmetric hydrophosphination of activated alkenes incorporating potential coordinating heteroatoms

The impact of the structural attributes of chiral PC- and PCP-palladium catalysts was investigated in the asymmetric hydrophosphination of various heterocycle-functionalized enone substrates. Due to the architecture of the catalysts, they are confronted with potential catalyst deactivation arising from the coordination of the electron-rich heteroatoms (P, O, N and S) to the metal center. A systematic variation of the location and identity of the heteroatoms demonstrated the impact of structural modifications on the substrates, which have a significant influence on both yields (16-99%) and enantioselectivities (0-99%). A detailed discussion on the distinct catalytic mechanisms (intra- vs. inter-molecular addition) provides important information to explain the results obtained.

Nucleophilicity and P-C Bond Formation Reactions of a Terminal Phosphanido Iridium Complex

The diiridium complex [{Ir(ABPN2)(CO)}2(μ-CO)] (1; [ABPN2](-) = [(allyl)B(Pz)2(CH2PPh2)](-)) reacts with diphenylphosphane affording [Ir(ABPN2)(CO)(H) (PPh2)] (2), the product of the oxidative addition of the P-H bond to the metal. DFT studies revealed a large contribution of the terminal phosphanido lone pair to the HOMO of 2, indicating nucleophilic character of this ligand, which is evidenced by reactions of 2 with typical electrophiles such as H(+), Me(+), and O2. Products from the reaction of 2 with methyl chloroacetate were found to be either [Ir(ABPN2)(CO)(H)(PPh2CH2CO2Me)][PF6] ([6]PF6) or [Ir(ABPN2)(CO)(Cl)(H)] (7) and the free phosphane (PPh2CH2CO2Me), both involving P-C bond formation, depending on the reaction conditions. New complexes having iridacyclophosphapentenone and iridacyclophosphapentanone moieties result from reactions of 2 with dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate and dimethyl maleate, respectively, as a consequence of a further incorporation of the carbonyl ligand. In this line, the terminal alkyne methyl propiolate gave a mixture of a similar iridacyclophosphapentanone complex and [Ir(ABPN2){CH═C(CO2Me)-CO}{PPh2-CH═CH(CO2Me)}] (10), which bears the functionalized phosphane PPh2-CH═CH(CO2Me) and an iridacyclobutenone fragment. Related model reactions aimed to confirm mechanistic proposals are also studied.

Enantioselective phospha-Michael addition of diarylphosphines to β,γ-unsaturated α-ketoesters and amides

An enantioselective hydrophosphination of β,γ-unsaturated α-ketoesters and amides has been developed using a chiral palladacycle catalyst. Adducts can be obtained in excellent yields and enantioselectivities, providing direct access to chiral tertiary phosphines which are synthetically useful intermediates in the preparation of bidentate ligands.