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The reactivity of the geminal phosphinoborane tBu 2 PCH 2 BPh 2 towards terminal alkynes, nitriles and nitrilium salts is investigated. Terminal alkynes react via C-H bond splitting (deprotonation) resulting in the formation of phosphonium borates. In contrast, both nitriles and nitrilium salts undergo addition reactions resulting in the formation of five-membered heterocycles. All compounds were characterized by multinuclear NMR spectroscopy, and single-crystal X-ray structure determinations. Insight into the reaction mechanisms was gained by DFT calculations.

The parent tris(pyrazolyl)phosphine and its 3,5-Me2, 3-Ph, and 3-t-Bu derivatives have been prepared by a simple procedure and show modest Lewis basicity of the phosphorus apex as was established by the magnitude of the (1)JP,Se coupling constant of the phosphine selenides. Because of the chelating properties of both the N- and P-sites, neutral phosphorus-centered scorpion ligands allow coordination modes that are unavailable to the abundantly used anionic tris(pyrazolyl)borate scorpionates as we established for Cu(I)-complexation. The substituted P-scorpion ligands only allow for N-coordination, as the P-apex is presumably less accessible. Two X-ray crystal structures were obtained for the Cu-complex of tris(3,5-dimethylpyrazolyl)-phosphine with acetonitrile and triphenylphosphine in the fourth coordination site. The parent P-scorpion ligand can chelate with both its pyrazolyl groups and its P-apex with the product depending on the ratio in which it is mixed with the Cu(I) complex. Reacting two equivalents of the ligand with [Cu(MeCN)4][PF6] resulted in a complex in which Cu is coordinated to the three pyrazolyl groups of one ligand and to the P-apex of the other ligand as confirmed by an X-ray crystal structure determination and a DFT computational analysis. Reacting the ligand and the Cu(I) complex in an equimolar ratio resulted in a remarkable one-dimensional P-scorpion coordination polymer for which a single crystal X-ray structure could be determined. A detailed analysis of the structural features is presented.

A new series of platinacyclopentanes (2a-2f) and platinacycloheptanes (3a-3f) of the type [Pt(N^P)(CH2)n] (n = 4, 6) were obtained by the reaction of [Pt(COD)(CH2)n] with the appropriate iminophosphine ligand (1a-1f). These complexes were characterised using a variety of spectroscopic and analytical techniques. X-ray structure analysis of complex 2a revealed a slightly distorted square planar geometry around platinum as a consequence of the ring strain imposed by the [P,N] chelate ring formed and the metallocycloalkane. Thermal decomposition analyses of the platinacycloalkanes revealed that the platinacyclopentanes are markedly stable, with the decomposition reaction requiring temperatures higher than 100 °C to occur. The major products obtained from the thermal decomposition reactions were 1-butene (for platinacyclopentanes) and 1-hexene (for platinacycloheptanes).

Hydroalumination of aryldialkynylphosphines RP(C≡C-(t)Bu)(2) (R = Ph, Mes) with equimolar quantities of diethylaluminum hydride afforded mixed alkenyl-alkynyl cyclic dimers in which the dative aluminum-phosphorus bonds are geminal to the exocyclic alkenyl groups. Addition of triethylaluminum to isolated 1 (R = Ph) or to the in situ generated species (R = Mes) caused diethylaluminum ethynide elimination to yield the arylethylphosphorus dimers 2 and 3. These possess a chair-like Al(2)C(2)P(2) heterocycle with intermolecular Al-P interactions. The boat conformation (4) was obtained by the reaction of (t)Bu-P(C≡C-(t)Bu)(2) with di(tert-butyl)aluminum hydride. Despite being dimeric, 2 behaves as a frustrated Lewis pair and activates small molecules. The reaction with carbon dioxide gave cis/trans isomeric AlPC(2)O heterocycles that differ only by the configuration of the exocyclic alkenyl unit. Four isomers resulted from the reaction with phenyl isocyanate. This is caused by cis/trans isomerization of the initial C=O adduct and subsequent rearrangement to the AlPC(2)N heterocycle, being the C=N adduct.

The thermally stable silylene Si[(NCH(2)Bu(t))(2)C(6)H(4)-1,2] 1 undergoes oxidative addition reactions with the alkali metal silylamides MN(SiMe(3))(2)(M = Li, Na or K) to afford the new alkali metal amides MN(SiMe(3))[(1)SiMe(3)][M = Li (2), Na (3) or K (4)]. Reaction of two equivalents of 1 with LiN(R)(SiMe(3)) leads in a two-step process to the compound LiN[(1)R][(1)SiMe(3)][R = SiMe(2)Ph (5) or SiMe(3) (6)]. Alternatively, 1 reacts with 3 to afford NaN[(1)SiMe(3)](2) (7). The structures of 2-5 and are presented and the formation of 2-7 is discussed.