title: Theoretical Analysis of Reactions between Phosphanylnitrenes and Boranes: The Fate of the Adducts.
abstract: Ab initio molecular orbital calculations have been carried out to determine the minimum-energy pathways and thereby to probe the mechanism of reactions between phosphanylnitrenes (R(1)R(2)P&tbd1;N, R(1), R(2) = H, F) and boranes (H(2)XB, X = H, F, CH(3), and C(2)H(5)). Geometries have been determined using the MP2/6-31G(d,p) model, while relative energies have been estimated using, depending on the size of the system, the quadratic configuration interaction model (QCISD and QCISD(T)) with various basis sets including 6-31G(d,p), 6-311G(d,p), and 6-311++G(d,p). The stability of the primary complex adduct is strongly dependent on the substituents of the boranes. When the borane bears a H atom, the primary adduct is not at all stable and readily collapses to an amine isomer via a H-shift from B to N. This shift becomes more difficult if the substituent is F or CH(3). In the F case, a phosphorane isomer, owing to the strength of the P-F bond, turns out to be favored. When non-hydrogen boranes (BF(3) and B(CH(3) )(3) for example) could be used, the primary adducts could be stabilized and even exist as discrete intermediates. F substituents on the nitrene show no significant qualitative effect. In the H(2)PN + H(2)BC(2)H(5) reaction, a retro-ene reaction of the adduct directly gives rise to an amine product via a five-membered transition structure. In the reverse reaction of a HX molecule plus an iminoborane (RB&tbd1;N-PR(1)R(2) ), both 1,2-addition to B and N and 1,3-addition to B and P reactions are possible.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200F, B-3001-Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Minh Tho
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.forename: Annik
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Van Keer
authors.forename: Luc G.
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Vanquickenborne