Heterometathesis of diphosphanes (R2P-PR2) with dichalcogenides (R′E-ER′, E = O, S, Se, Te)

Abstract

The reactions of R2P-PR2 with R′E-ER′, (where E = Se, S, O, Te) to give R2P-ER′ have been explored experimentally and computationally. The reaction of Ph2P-PPh2 with PhSe-SePh gives Ph2P-SePh (1) rapidly and quantitatively. The P-P/Se-Se reaction is inhibited by the addition of the radical scavenger TEMPO which is consistent with a radical mechanism for the heterometathesis reaction. Compound 1 has been fully characterised, including by X-ray crystallography. A range of other Ar2P-SeR (R = Ph, nBu or CH2CH2CO2H) have also been prepared and characterised. The reaction of 1 with [Mo(CO)4(nbd)] (nbd = norbornadiene) gives two products which, from their characteristic 31P NMR data, have been identified as cis-[Mo(CO)4(Ph2PSePh-P)2] (8) and the mixed-donor complex cis-[Mo(CO)4(Ph2P-SePh-P)(Ph2P-SePh-Se)] (9). It is deduced that the P and Se atoms in ligand 1 have comparable capacity to coordinate to Mo(0). The reaction of Ph2P-PPh2 with PhS-SPh gives Ph2P-SPh (2) quantitatively but no reaction was observed between Ph2P-PPh2 and PhTe-TePh. Heterometathesis between Ph2P-PPh2 and tBuO-OtBu does not occur thermally but has been observed under UV irradiation to give Ph2P-OtBu along with P(v) oxidation by-products. DFT calculations have been carried out to illuminate why heterometatheses with dichalcogenides R′E-ER′ occur readily when E = S and Se but not when E = O and Te. The calculations show that heterometathesis is predicted to be thermodynamically favourable for E = O, S and Se and unfavourable for E = Te. The fact that a metathesis reaction between Ph2P-PPh2 with tBuO-OtBu is not observed in the absence of UV radiation, is therefore due to kinetics.