title: Coordination chemistry of cis,cis and trans,trans 1,1'-[1,2-phenylenebis(methylene)]bis(2,2,3,4,4-pentamethylphosphetane).
abstract: The cis,cis (5) and trans,trans (9) forms of the bidentate ligand 1,1'-[1,2-phenylenebis(methylene)]bis(2,2,3,4,4-pentamethylphosphetane) have been prepared from common precursors using two separate synthetic routes. The cis,cis isomer is attained selectively through the direct reaction of two mol equivalents of 2,2,3,4,4-pentamethylphosphetane with alpha,alpha'-dibromo-o-xylene in acetone. Protection of the 2,2,3,4,4-pentamethylphosphetane with BH(3) and conversion to the lithium phosphido-borane prior to adding the alpha,alpha'-dihalo-o-xylene leads to the isolation of the trans,trans isomer of 1,1'-[1,2-phenylenebis(methylene)]bis(2,2,3,4,4-pentamethylphosphetane). Both isomers have been fully characterised by spectroscopic and, in the case of the all-cis isomer, single-crystal X-ray methods. The two isomers have been coordinated to Mo(0) to give complexes of the type cis-Mo(CO)(4)(L). The solid state structures of cis-Mo(CO)(4)(5), 10, and cis-Mo(CO)(4)(9), 12, have been determined by single-crystal X-ray methods and reveal significant differences between the two forms, most notably in the chelate bite angle which is 100.68(18) degrees in 10 compared to 88.12(2) degrees in 12. Ligand 5 has also been coordinated to Pd(II) and Pd(0) and the structure of the complex Pd(5)Cl(2) (11) determined by single-crystal methods. The solid-state structure of Pd(5)Cl(2) reveals a significant tetrahedral distortion from the normal square planar geometry.
authors.affiliation: School of Chemistry, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK CF10 3AT.
authors.forename: Dennis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Coleman
authors.forename: Peter G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Edwards
authors.forename: Benson M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Kariuki
authors.forename: Paul D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Newman