title: A mechanistic study of the C-P bond cleavage reaction of 1,2-(PH2)2-C6H4 with nBuLi/Sb(NMe2)3.
abstract: In situ 31P NMR spectroscopic studies of the reaction of the primary diphosphine 1,2-(PH2)2-C6H4 with the mixed-metal base system nBuLi/Sb(NMe2)3, combined with X-ray structural investigations, strongly support a mechanism involving a series of deprotonation steps followed by antimony-mediated reductive C-P bond cleavage. The central intermediate in this reaction is the tetraphosphide dianion [C6H4P2]2(2-) ([]) from which the final products, the 1,2,3-triphospholide anion [C6H4P3]- () and [PhPHLi] (.Li), are evolved. An EPR spectrocopic study suggests that homolytic C-P bond cleavage is likely to be involved in this final step.
authors.affiliation: School of Chemistry, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, UK M139PL.
authors.forename: Ruth
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Edge
authors.forename: Robert J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Less
authors.forename: Vesal
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Naseri
authors.forename: Eric J L
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: McInnes
authors.forename: Robert E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Mulvey
authors.forename: Dominic S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Wright