Nucleophilic phosphinidene

Electrophilic and nucleophilic phosphinidene complexes have been related to the corresponding carbene complexes of which the Fischer-type is usually considered as a singlet-singlet combination and the Schrock-type as a triplet-triplet combination. However, both the strongly preferred triplet state of R-P and the M=P bond analysis suggest this schematic interpretation to be less appropriate for transition metal complexed phosphinidenes. 

F. Mathey et al. reported that 7-R-7-phosphanorbornenes (37) can be considered as synthetic equivalents of nucleophilic phosphinidenes [RP] on the basis of their transformation into phosphinites by quaternization and... 

Phosphinidenes differ from carbenes because of the additional lone pair. This lone pair enables interactions with, e.g., a transition metal group for increased stability, while maintaining carbene-hke behavior. These terminal /] -complexed phosphinidenes differ from the p2-> fi3-> and p4-complexes, which are not part of this survey. Phosphinidenes that are stabilized by a transition metal group also relate to carbene complexes. A distinction in Fischer and Schrock-type complexes has been advanced to distinguish phosphinidene complexes with nucleophilic properties from those that are electrophiHc [ 13 ]. In this survey we address this topic in more detail. 

Table 5. M=P bond distances and NMR chemical shifts and Jpp coupling constants of stable nucleophilic terminal phosphinidene complexes ...

The following chapter concerns another kind of low-valent organophosphorus compounds, namely phosphinidenes. Little is known about free phos-phinidenes in contrast to the corresponding transition metal complexes. Many new reagents have been generated exhibiting either electrophilic or nucleophilic properties. The reactivity of these carbene-like reagents is evaluated (K. hammer tsma). 

More than 35 years ago, it was reported that the reaction of tri-methylphosphine with the cyclotetraphosphine (CF3P)4 affords the phosphine-phosphinidene complex, Me3P —> PCF3 (43). More recently, it has been demonstrated that stable carbenes are sufficiently nucleophilic to effect the depolymerization of cyclopolyphosphines and cyclopolyarsines to produce carbene-pnictinidene complexes 66-70, the first examples of p-block pnictinidenes (44, 45). Two extreme canonical forms, 71 and 72, can be written for such species. Structure 71... 

The cyclopolyphosphines that were used to prepare the carbene-phosphinidene complexes described earlier were formed by the reduction of higher oxidation state phosphorus compounds, typically di-chlorophosphines, RPC12 (47-49). However, in some cases a separate reduction step is not necessary and it is possible to prepare the car-bene-phosphinidene complex (74) directly by reaction of a stable nucleophilic carbene with RPC12 (44). 

These indices have been used to study the reactivity for a series of chlorobenzenes and a good correlation is observed, for example, between W and toxicity of chlorobenzene [41]. For a detail discussion of this concept and its applications, we refer the readers to a recent review [41,42]. For studying intramolecular reactivity, these philicity indices and local softness contain the same information as obtained from the Fukui functions, because they simply scale the Fukui functions. In some cases the relative electrophilicity and relative nucleophilicity may be used although they provide similar trends as s(r) and co(r) in most cases [43]. In the same vein, the spin-donicity and spin-philicity, which refer to the philicity of open-shell systems [44], could also be utilized to unravel the reactivity of high-spin species, such as the carbenes, nitrenes, and phosphinidenes [45]. 

Nb and Ta derivatives are hard acids and then-complexes with P- or As-donors are limited. Tertiary phosphines, especially PMes, have been widely used to stabilize low-valent derivatives. C-H activation reactions, promoted by the formation of thermodynamically stable Ta-H, Ta-C, and Ta=C bonds have resulted in metallacycles based on unusual anionic phosphorus donors. Nucleophilic Ta phosphinidene complexes could be stabilized by a tripodal tetradentate [NN3] amido ligand. The terminal PR ligand reacts smoothly with aldehydes, providing a general synthesis of phosphaalkenes RP=C(H)R and act thus as a phospha-Wittig reactant see Phosphorus Organophosphorus Chemistry). 

It should be emphasized that the difference between silylenes and carbenes on the one hand and the phosphinidene complexes on the other hand is due to the nucleophilic or electrophilic, respectively, natures of these species. The former attack the carbon atom of a P/C double bond in the 1,3,5-triphosphinine, whereas the latter should preferentially attack the phosphorus atom. 

The relevance of new P-Cl phosphinidenes as intermediates for the preparation of more elaborated products, like P-heterocycles or C-H activation molecules, led Sterenberg ° to explore new synthetic routes for dichlorophosphido complexes (Scheme 4). The treatment of dichloro-phosphido complex 12 with AICI3 led to the exclusive formation of the chlorinated diphosphorus metal complex 13 involving a Lewis acid assisted nucleophilic mechanism. The large P-P coupling constant indicated a direct P-P bond between two chemically non-equivalent phosphorus atoms. 

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