Reduction of phosphine sulfides

Table 1.5 Examples of successful reductions of phosphine sulfides.

Many phosphine sulfides are known but their use in P-stereogenic chemistry has been rather limited until recently. They are easily prepared by reaction of phosphines with elemental sulfur, a step which proceeds with retention of configuration. Hexachlorodisilane and Raney nickel have been formd to be stereoselective reagents for desulfurisation of phosphine sulfides. Some examples of reductions are collected in Table 1.5. 

As a safer alternative to digestion of vegetable matter with perchloric acid, alkaline oxidation of sulfur compounds to sulfate by sodium hypobromite, and reduction of sulfate to hydrogen sulfide by hydriodic acid/formaldehyde/phosphinic acid is recommended. 

The beneficial effect of added phosphine on the chemo- and stereoselectivity of the Sn2 substitution of propargyl oxiranes is demonstrated in the reaction of substrate 27 with lithium dimethylcyanocuprate in diethyl ether (Scheme 2.9). In the absence of the phosphine ligand, reduction of the substrate prevailed and attempts to shift the product ratio in favor of 29 by addition of methyl iodide (which should alkylate the presumable intermediate 24 [8k]) had almost no effect. In contrast, the desired substitution product 29 was formed with good chemo- and anti-stereoselectivity when tri-n-butylphosphine was present in the reaction mixture [25, 31]. Interestingly, this effect is strongly solvent dependent, since a complex product mixture was formed when THF was used instead of diethyl ether. With sulfur-containing copper sources such as copper bromide-dimethyl sulfide complex or copper 2-thiophenecarboxylate, however, addition of the phosphine caused the opposite effect, i.e. exclusive formation of the reduced allene 28. Hence the course and outcome of the SN2 substitution show a rather complex dependence on the reaction partners and conditions, which needs to be further elucidated. 

Tris(trimethylsilyl)silane reacts with phosphine sulfides and phosphine selen-ides under free radical conditions to give the corresponding phosphines or, after treatment with BH3-THF, the corresponding phosphine-borane complex in good to excellent yields (Reaction 4.45) [82]. Stereochemical studies on P-chiral phosphine sulphides showed that these reductions proceed with retention of configuration. An example is given in Reaction (4.46). 

An additional approach toward the preparation of tertiary phosphines is by the reduction of more highly coordinated phosphorus species, particularly phosphine oxides [0=PR3] and phosphine sulfides [S=PR3] (see Section 5.2), but also phosphonium salts [ILtP+X"] and quasiphosphonium salts [R3P-YR +X ] (see Sections 4.2 and 4.4). Numerous reducing agents have been used to accomplish these conversions, including hexachlorodisilane [CbSi-SiCft], trichlorosilane [HSiCft], phenylsilane [PhSiHs], and lithium aluminum hydride [LiAlH4]. 

The mechanism of disulfide reduction by phosphines is hypothesized to involve a stable intermediate containing a sulphur-phosphorous bond (6). Beta elimination would yield the phosphine sulfide and dehydroalanine. The formation of relatively stable adducts between cystine-containing peptides and the reagent was confirmed by mass spectrometry for several peptides with the major adduct representing one reagent molecule per cystine residue. 

This is a very useful route for the preparation of phosphines, especially chiral phosphines. Tertiary phosphine oxides (and sulfides) and phosphonium salts are often precursors of choice in these reduction procedures. The following sections highlight reagents and reaction conditions in forthcoming sections further examples will be given. 

On the other hand, the reduction of an optically active acyclic phosphine sulfide occurs stereospecifically and with retention of configuration.2... 

In order to prevent formation of the unwanted phosphine oxide, the usual synthetic procedure is to convert phosphine to phosphine sulfide, the deprotection by Raney nickel restoring the phosphine. However, such a treatment [50] appeared inappropriate for the reduction of a large number of ligands [51] then a new homogeneous reducing method was reported in which the sulfide-containing peptides remain attached to the polymer on which they are synthesized [52]. Phosphine sulfide is methylated by trifluoromethanesulfonate to give the phosphonium... 

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