title: First Resolution of a Free Secondary Phosphine Chiral at Phosphorus and Stereospecific Formation and Structural Characterization of a Homochiral Secondary Phosphine-Borane Complex.
abstract: The R(P) diastereomer of (-)-menthylmesitylphosphine, (R(P))-1, has been isolated with high configurational purity at phosphorus by fractional crystallization of an (R(P))-1/(S(P))-1 = 43/57 mixture from acetonitrile containing a trace of sodium acetylacetonate as a proton scavenger or by deboranation of the corresponding borane complex (S(P))-2 with diethylamine, thereby effecting the first resolution of a secondary phosphine chiral at phosphorus. The crystal and molecular structure of (S(P))-2 has been determined. The ready isolation of (S(P))-2 of 97% diastereomeric purity in 66% yield from an equilibrium (R(P))-2/(S(P))-2 = 28/72 mixture in n-hexane by second-order asymmetric transformation and its quantitative and stereospecific conversion under mild conditions into (R(P))-1 of similar purity augurs well for the future of the resolved secondary phosphines in stereoselective syntheses.
authors.affiliation: Research School of Chemistry, Institute of Advanced Studies, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 0200, Australia.
authors.forename: Armin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bader
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pabel
authors.forename: Anthony C.
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Willis
authors.forename: S. Bruce
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Wild