Hexaphosphapentaprismane: a new gateway to organophosphorus cage compound chemistry.
Several independent synthetic routes are described leading to the formation of a novel unsaturated tetracyclic phosphorus carbon cage compound tBu4C4P6 (1), which undergoes a light-induced valence isomerization to produce the first hexaphosphapentaprismane cage tBu4C4P6 (2). A second unsaturated isomer tBu4C4P6 (9) of 1 and the bis-[W(CO)5] complex 13 of 1 are stable towards similar isomerization reactions. Another starting material for the synthesis of the hexaphosphapentaprismane cage tBu4C4P6 (2) is the trimeric mercury complex [(tBu4C4P6)Hg]3 (11), which undergoes elimination of mercury to afford the title compound 2. Single-crystal X-ray structural determinations have been carried out on compounds 1, 2, 9, 11, and 13.
School of Chemistry, Physics and Environmental Science, University of Sussex, Brighton, BN1 9QJ, UK.
Mahmoud M
MM
al-Ktaifani
Walter
W
Bauer
Uwe
U
Bergsträsser
Bernhard
B
Breit
Matthew D
MD
Francis
Frank W
FW
Heinemann
Peter B
PB
Hitchcock
Andreas
A
Mack
John F
JF
Nixon
Hans
H
Pritzkow
Manfred
M
Regitz
Matthias
M
Zeller
Ulrich
U
Zenneck