Phosphorus onium centre

More recent developments are based on the finding, that the d-orbitals of silicon, sulfur, phosphorus and certain transition metals may also stabilize a negative charge on a carbon atom. This is probably caused by a partial transfer of electron density from the carbanion into empty low-energy d-orbitals of the hetero atom ( backbonding ) or by the formation of ylides , in which a positively charged onium centre is adjacent to the carbanion and stabilization occurs by ylene formation. 

The sulphur atom of alkyl(thioalkyl)phosphonium salts forms a new onium centre on triethyloxonium tetrafluoroborate alkylation in nitromethane848,849 (thiocetals see above). Phosphonium ketene acetals are potential alkylating agents for phosphorus dithioic acid anions in non-aqueous, aprotic and aqueous media and in phase-transfer catalysis conditions296 (reaction 263). It is suggested that onium ketene acetals react by nucleophilic attack on the methyl group of the acetal. 

Cleavage reactions are best carried out in aqueous solution. In aprotic solvents, electrogenerated bases lead to the conversion of onium salts to the ylids which are not reducible [49]. The sequence of reactions shown in Scheme 5.2 shows that the bond cleavage process for phosphonium salts proceeds with retention of configuration around the phosphorus atom [50]. Retention of configuration at arsenic is also observed [51]. This electrochemical process is a route to asymmetric trisub-stituted phosphorus and arsenic centres. 

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