Frustrated Lewis Pair Route to Hydrodesilylation ofSilylphosphines.

A 1:1 mixture ofP(SiMe3)3and B(p-C6F4H)3reacts with 3equiv of 4-heptanone to afford a 1:2 mixture of [(Me3SiO)(n-Pr)2C]H2P–B(p-C6F4H)3and the silyl enol ether,4-trimethylsiloxy-3-heptene. Subsequent thermolysis of the adductproduces H3P–B(p-C6F4H)3and an additional equiv of silyl enol ether.In the presence of a catalytic quantity of B(p-C6F4H)3, however, P(SiMe3)3reacts with 4-heptanoneto produce a 1:1 mixture of [(Me3SiO)(n-Pr)2C]2PH and silyl enol ether. Heating thismixture further produces [(Me3SiO)(n-Pr)2C]PH2, which is eventually converted to elementalphosphorus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]