Insertion of phenyl isothiocyanate into a P-P bond of a nickel-substituted bicyclo[1.1.0]tetraphosphabutane

Abstract

A new reaction mode for bicyclo[1.1.0]tetraphosphabutanes is reported. The CS and CN bonds of phenyl isothiocyanate reversibly insert into a P-P bond of [{CpNi(IMes)}2(μ-η1:η1-P4)] (1Mes, IMes = 1,3-bis(2,4,6-trimethylphenyl)imidazolin-2-ylidene), forming isomers 2a and 2b. X-ray crystallography and 31P{1H} NMR spectroscopy revealed similar bicyclo[3.1.0]heterohexane structures for these compounds.