Phosphines phosphonium salts

Fluck, E. and Lorenz, J., Nuclear magnetic resonance of phosphorus compounds. XIV. Chemical shifts of phosphines, phosphonium salts, and diphos-phinonickel(II) chlorides, Z. Naturforsch., 22B, 1095, 1967. 

Thianthrene radical ion(l+) perchlorate was employed to effect one-electron oxidation of Cu(TPP) (TPP, tetraphenylporphyrinate) to [Cu (Tpp )]+[sbcy (82JA6791). It was also used to dehydrogenate thio-xanthene (44)(R = H), forming perchlorate 43 or, in the presence of an electron-rich aromatic, the 9-Ar-substituted-thioxanthene 44 (R = Ar) (80MI4 82MI4) or, in the presence of a phosphine, phosphonium salts 44 (R = P-"R (81MI7). 

D.J.H. Smith, Phosphines, phosphonium salts and halogenophosphines, in D. Barton and W.D. Ollis, Eds., Comprehensive Organic Chemistry, Vol. 2, Pergamon, 1979. 

VII. Phosphines, Phosphonium Salts, and Other Phosphorus Derivatives... 

Towards a simple Lewis base, for example the proton, phosphine is a poorer electron donor than ammonia, the larger phosphorus atom being less able to form a stable covalent bond with the acceptor atom or molecule. Phosphine is, therefore, a much weaker base than ammonia and there is no series of phosphonium salts corresponding to the ammonium salts but phosphonium halides. PH4X (X = Cl, Br, I) can be prepared by the direct combination of phosphine with the appropriate hydrogen halide. These compounds are much more easily dissociated than ammonium halides, the most stable being the iodide, but even this dissociates at 333 K PH4I = PH3 -t- HI... 

Tetrakis(hydroxymethyl)phosphonium Salts. The reaction of formaldehyde (qv) and phosphine in aqueous hydrochloric or sulfuric acid yields tetrakis-(hydroxymethyl)phosphonium chloride [124-62-1/, Albright Wilson s Retardol C, or the sulfate [55566-30-8] (Retardol S), (C4H 2C4P)2SO [55566-30-8]. 

Textile Flame Retardants. The first known commercial appHcation for phosphine derivatives was as a durable textile flame retardant for cotton and cotton—polyester blends. The compounds are tetrakis(hydroxymethyl)phosphonium salts (10) which are prepared by the acid-cataly2ed addition of phosphine to formaldehyde. The reaction proceeds ia two stages. Initially, the iatermediate tris(hydroxymethyl)phosphine [2767-80-8] is formed. 

Phosphonium salts are readily prepared by the reaction of tertiary phosphines with alkyl or henzylic haHdes, eg, the reaction of tributylphosphine [998-40-3] with 1-chlorobutane [109-69-3] to produce tetrabutylphosphonium chloride [2304-30-5]. 

Pure tetrahedral coordination probably occurs only ia species where there are four identical groups and no steric distortions. Both PCU and PBr" 4, present ia soHd phosphoms haUdes, appear to have poiat symmetry. Other species, eg, H PO and POCl, have only slightly distorted tetrahedra. Similar geometries occur ia salts, esters, and other derivatives of phosphoric, phosphonic, and phosphinic acids as well as phosphine oxides and phosphonium salts. 

Preparation and Properties of Organophosphines. AUphatic phosphines can be gases, volatile Hquids, or oils. Aromatic phosphines frequentiy are crystalline, although many are oils. Some physical properties are Hsted in Table 14. The most characteristic chemical properties of phosphines include their susceptabiUty to oxidation and their nucleophilicity. The most common derivatives of the phosphines include halophosphines, phosphine oxides, metal complexes of phosphines, and phosphonium salts. Phosphines are also raw materials in the preparation of derivatives, ie, derivatives of the isomers phosphinic acid, HP(OH)2, and phosphonous acid, H2P(=0)0H. 

The addition of alkyl haUdes to phosphines is analogous to the reactions with amines. Because primary phosphonium salts are highly dissociated, the reaction proceeds to the tertiary or quartemary salts. 

The addition of P—H bonds across a carbonyl function leads to the formation of a-hydroxy-substituted phosphines. The reaction is acid-cataly2ed and appears to be quite general with complete reaction of each P—H bond if linear aUphatic aldehydes are used. Steric considerations may limit the product to primary or secondary phosphines. In the case of formaldehyde, the quaternary phosphonium salt [124-64-1] is obtained. 

Phosphonium salts may also be prepared by the addition of tertiary phosphines to carbonyl compounds or olefins (97). 

Phosphonium salts are typically stable crystalline soHds that have high water solubiUty. Uses include biocides, flame retardants, the phase-transfer catalysts (98). Although their thermal stabiUty is quite high, tertiary phosphines can be obtained from pyrolysis of quaternary phosphonium haUdes. The hydroxides undergo thermal degradation to phosphine oxides as follows ... 

Although unsynunetrically substituted amines are chiral, the configuration is not stable because of rapid inversion at nitrogen. The activation energy for pyramidal inversion at phosphorus is much higher than at nitrogen, and many optically active phosphines have been prepared. The barrier to inversion is usually in the range of 30-3S kcal/mol so that enantiomerically pure phosphines are stable at room temperature but racemize by inversion at elevated tempeiatuies. Asymmetrically substituted tetracoordinate phosphorus compounds such as phosphonium salts and phosphine oxides are also chiral. Scheme 2.1 includes some examples of chiral phosphorus compounds. 

This material may be converted directly to a phosphonium salt 1.40 g. (0.0054 mole) of the crude iodide is dissolved in 20 ml. of benzene, and 1.42 g, (0.0054 mole) of triphenylphosphine [Phosphine, triphenyl-] is added. On standing, 2.5 g. (77%) of the triphenylphosphonium salt precipitates as a colorless 1 1 complex with benzene, m.p. 135-137°. Recrystallization from methanol-benzene raises the melting point to 140-142°. Analysis calculated for C28H29PI CeH6 C, 68.23 H, 5.39. Found C, 68.15 H, 5.28. 

In the Wittig reaction an aldehyde or ketone is treated with a phosphorus ylid (also called a phosphorane) to give an alkene. Phosphorus ylids are usually prepared by treatment of a phosphonium salt with a base, and phosphonium salts are usually prepared from the phosphine and an alkyl halide (10-44) ... 

The overall sequence of three steps may be called the Wittig reaction, or only the final step. Phosphonium salts are also prepared by addition of phosphines to Michael alkenes (hke 15-8) and in other ways. The phosphonium salts are most often converted to the ylids by treatment with a strong base such as butyllithium, sodium amide, sodium hydride, or a sodium alkoxide, though weaker bases can be used if... 

However, thermolysis of the phosphonium salts (X=+PPh3) leads directly to the indolic products without need of acid catalyst or PPh3, and thus may not proceed via a normal Wittig pathway. Alternatively, Hughes has effected a solid-phase version of this reaction employing a polymer-hound phosphonium salt and potassium tert-butoxide as base <96TL7595>. In this case, the phosphine oxide by-product remains bound to the polymer resin. 

Wittig reactions are versatile and useful for preparing alkenes, under mild conditions, where the position of the double bond is known unambiguously. The reaction involves the facile formation of a phosphonium salt from an alkyl halide and a phosphine. In the presence of base this loses HX to form an ylide (Scheme 1.15). This highly polar ylide reacts with a carbonyl compound to give an alkene and a stoichiometric amount of a phosphine oxide, usually triphenylphosphine oxide. 

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