Potassium phosphide, complex with alkali metals

Interest in the synthesis and structural characterisation of less common metalloorganophosphide systems has continued. A range of alkali metal complexes of the phosphide anion (48) has been prepared from the lithio-phosphide by simple metathesis with alkali metal alkoxides. The lithio-phosphide exists as a dimer, but crystallisation of the sodium and potassium drivatives in the presence of TMEDA results in the formation of monomeric species. The caesium triphosphenide (49), involving a phosphorus analogue of the allyl anion, has been prepared from the previously described sodium complex. Unlike the sodium and potassium complexes, which are monomeric, the caesium complex has a polymeric structure. A variety of arylphosphide complexes of magnesium, calcium, strontium and barium have been prepared and their solid state structures characterised. Cop-per(I)-, silver(I)- and gold(I)-complexes of the cyclo-(P ion have also... 

---