Ready Approach to Organophosphines from ArCl via Selective Cleavage of C–P Bonds by Sodium

Palladium-catalyzed coupling of aryl sulfonium salts with [TBA][P(SiCl3)2] for the construction of tertiary phosphines

We present a strategy for the synthesis of triarylphosphines via palladium-catalyzed C-P cross-coupling reactions of aryl sulfonium salts with [TBA][P(SiCl3)2]. This method utilizes [TBA][P(SiCl3)2], a phosphorus derivative of phosphoric acid, as the phosphorus source. This approach circumvents the hazards and intricate pathways associated with white phosphorus.

Three-Coordinate Monomeric Phosphido Complexes of Ni(II)

This paper reports the synthesis of the first series of terminal phosphido Ni(II) complexes supported by the β-diketiminato ligand [iPrNN] (where iPrNN = 2,4-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenylimido)pentyl). Neutral mononuclear Ni(II) complexes [iPrNN]Ni-PPh2 (2) and [iPrNN]Ni-PAd2 (3) were obtained from the reaction of [iPrNN]NiBr2Li(thf)2 (1) with the R2PM (R = Ph, 1-adamantyl (Ad); M = Li, K) phosphide reagents. The structures of the synthesized compounds were determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, which revealed that the Ni center in these terminal phosphido complexes is three-coordinate with an almost planar geometry when R = Ph and a pyramidal geometry when R = Ad. The reactivity of the synthesized complexes was also studied in a range of bond forming reactions, including P-C and P-P bonds.

Palladium-Catalyzed Coupling of Aryl Chlorides with Secondary Phosphines to Construct Unsymmetrical Tertiary Phosphines

The functionalization of the C-Cl bond in unactivated aryl chlorides under mild conditions presents a significant challenge. We disclose a general protocol for constructing both partially and entirely unsymmetrical tertiary phosphines through the Pd/keYPhos-catalyzed coupling of aryl chlorides with secondary phosphines under mild conditions. The reaction exhibits excellent functional group tolerance and broad substrate scopes. Furthermore, the rapid synthesis of ligands and luminescent compound sTPPs, alongside gram-scale systhesis, demonstrates the practical applicability of this method.

Phosphination of aryl/alkyl bromides via Mn-mediated reductive C-P coupling

Mn-mediated reductive cross-coupling of organic bromides with 2-bromo-1,3,2-diazaphospholene was developed for efficient construction of C-P bonds under mild conditions. Mechanistic studies suggested that bromides are activated by in situ formed bis-diazaphospholene via hybrid radical and polar mechanisms.

Efficient C(sp3)-P(V) bond cleavage and reconstruction of free α-aminophosphonates via palladium catalysis

Transition metal-catalyzed cleavage and reconstruction of the C-P bond provides a highly efficient and rapid method for the transformation of organophosphine compounds. In this study, a novel and general protocol for the palladium-catalyzed C(sp3)-P(V) bond cleavage of free α-aminophosphonates and subsequent functionalization via C-P bond recombination has been developed. The reaction exhibits high reactivity between the C(sp3)-P bond and halides, accommodating a wide range of substrates and enabling the rapid synthesis of aryl, alkenyl, and alkyl organophosphine molecules. Additionally, the synthetic utility is validated by gram-scale synthesis, and the reaction process is corroborated by mechanistic experiments.

Photoinduced, Redox-Neutral Decyanative and Defluorinative Phosphination of (Hetero)Arenes

Triarylphosphines play a crucial role in organic synthesis as versatile components serving as ligands, catalysts, and reactants. This study introduces a metal-free, visible-light-induced method for the cross-coupling of cyanopyridines or polyfluoroarenes with diarylphosphines. This approach facilitates the formation of C(sp2)-P bonds through redox-neutral decyanative or defluorinative process, enabling the convenient synthesis of diverse triarylphosphines.

Reduction of Li+ within a borate anion

Group 1 elements exhibit the lowest electronegativity values in the Periodic Table. The chemical reduction of Group 1 metal cations M+ to M(0) is extremely challenging. Common tetraaryl borates demonstrate limited redox properties and are prone to decomposition upon oxidation. In this study, by employing simple yet versatile bipyridines as ligands, we synthesized a series of redox-active borate anions characterized by NMR and X-ray single-crystal diffraction. Notably, the borate anion can realize the reduction of Li+, generating elemental lithium metal and boron radical, thereby demonstrating its potent reducing ability. Furthermore, it can serve as a powerful two-electron-reducing reagent and be readily applied in various reductive homo-coupling reactions and Birch reduction of acridine. Additionally, this borate anion demonstrates its catalytic ability in the selective two-electron reduction of CO2 into CO.

New Frontiers in Organosodium Chemistry as Sustainable Alternatives to Organolithium Reagents

With their highly reactive respective C-Na and N-Na bonds, organosodium and sodium amide reagents could be viewed as obvious replacements or even superior reagents to the popular, widely utilised organolithiums. However, they have seen very limited applications in synthesis due mainly to poor solubility in common solvents and their limited stability. That notwithstanding in recent years there has been a surge of interest in bringing these sustainable metal reagents into the forefront of organometallics in synthesis. Showcasing the growth in utilisation of organosodium complexes within several areas of synthetic chemistry, this Minireview discusses promising new methods that have been recently reported with the goal of taming these powerful reagents. Special emphasis is placed on coordination and aggregation effects in these reagents which can impart profound changes in their solubility and reactivity. Differences in observed reactivity between more nucleophilic aryl and alkyl sodium reagents and the less nucleophilic but highly basic sodium amides are discussed along with current mechanistic understanding of their reactivities. Overall, this review aims to inspire growth in this exciting field of research to allow for the integration of organosodium complexes within common important synthetic transformations.

Dicationic copper(I) complexes bearing ENE (E = S, Se) pincer ligands; catalytic applications in regioselective cyclization of 1,6-diynes

Two novel dicationic binuclear Cu(I) complexes of the type [{(BPPP)E2}Cu]2[BF4]2 (E = S (3a); Se (3b)) bearing (BPPP)E2 (BPPP = bis(diphenylphosphino)pyridine) pincer systems were isolated, and structurally characterized. The solid-state structures of 3a/3b display the presence of intermolecular cuprophilic (Cu⋯Cu) interactions between the two monocationic species, and consist of weak Cu⋯S bonding between the two cations. Besides, complex 3a was introduced as a molecular copper(I) catalyst in cyclization reactions, and new protocols were developed for the synthesis of a series of new oxazole and triazole derivatives bearing alkyne-phenyl propargylic ether substituents. 3a was also found to be active in achieving these two classes of heterocyclic compounds by the mechanical grinding method. One of the key intermediate copper-azide species was detected by the high-resolution mass spectrometry technique, which supports the proposed catalytic pathway. All the reported transformations were accomplished sustainably by employing a well-defined, earth-abundant, and cheap copper(I) catalytic system.

Phosphino-Phosphination Reactions: Frustrated Lewis Pair Reactivity of Phosphino-Phosphonium Cations with Alkynes

The phosphino-phosphonium cations of the form [R3 PPR'2 ]+ are labile and provide access to the constituent Lewis acidic and Lewis basic fragments. This permits frustrated Lewis pair-type addition reactions to alkynes, affording unprecedented phosphino-phosphination reactions and giving cations of the form [cis-R3 PCHC(R'')PR'2 ]+ . This reactivity is further adapted to prepare several examples of a rare class of dissymmetric cis-olefin-linked bidentate phosphines.

Nickel-Catalyzed Defluorophosphonylation of Aryl Fluorides

A Ni-catalyzed cross-coupling reaction between aryl fluorides and dialkyl phosphonates [HP(O)(OR)₂] (R = secondary alkyl groups) in the presence of potassium tert-butoxide as a base is reported. The reaction converted various aryl fluorides into the corresponding aryl phosphonates even when electron-donating substituents were present on the aromatic ring. The combined experimental and computational studies suggested Ni-K⁺ cooperative action of a Ni(0) complex chelated with a strongly electron-donating ion-bridged dimeric phosphite ligand system [P(OR)₂O^-K⁺]₂ that facilitates turnover-limiting C-F bond oxidative addition of aryl fluorides.

Nickel-catalysed diversification of phosphine ligands by formal substitution at phosphorus

We report a diversification strategy that enables the direct substituent exchange of tertiary phosphines. Alkylated phosphonium salts, prepared by standard alkylation of phosphines, are selectively dearylated in a nickel-catalysed process to access alkylphosphine products via a formal substitution at the phosphorus center. The reaction can be used to introduce a wide range of alkyl substituents into both mono- and bisphosphines. We also show that the alkylation and dearylation steps can be conducted in a one-pot sequence, enabling accelerated access to derivatives of the parent ligand. The phosphine products of the reaction are converted in situ to air-stable borane adducts for isolation, and versatile derivatisation reactions of these adducts are demonstrated.

Phosphine substituents can be exchanged by standard alkylation of a phosphine and a subsequent dearylation of the resulting phosphonium salt. A wide variety of alkyl groups can be introduced into both mono- and bidentate ligands using this method.

Synthesis of triarylphosphines from arylammonium salts via one-pot transition-metal-free C-P coupling

A nucleophilic aromatic substitution (S_NAr) reaction that allowed transition-metal-free C-P bond construction via C-N bond cleavage was developed. The coupling between aryltrimethylammonium salts and secondary phosphines from the in situ reduction of diarylphosphine oxides led to the formation of diverse triarylphosphines with various functional groups. This one-pot process was not only a pertinent S_NAr precedent but also a favorable transition-metal-free alternative for C-P coupling.

Selective carbon-phosphorus bond cleavage: expanding the toolbox for accessing bulky divalent lanthanoid sandwich complexes

The synthesis of two new tetra- and penta-phenycyclopentadienyldiphenylphosphine pro-ligands which readily undergo selective C-P bond cleavage has allowed for the facile synthesis of bulky divalent octa- and deca-phenylmetallocenes of europium, ytterbium and samarium.

Nickel-Templated Replacement of Phosphine Substituents in a Tetradentate Bis(amido)bis(phosphine) Ligand

The replacement of phosphine substituents in nickel-bound PNNP ligands is reported as an alternative method for preparing multidentate phosphine ligands with alkyl substituents. Treatment of the previously reported bis(phosphide) complex {K(THF)_x}₂^2Ph[PNNP]Ni (2) with 2 equiv of MeI, ⁱPrI, and 1,3-dibromoethane formed alkyl-substituted complexes ^2Ph,2Me[PNNP]Ni (3), ^2Ph,2iPr[PNNP]Ni (4), and ^{2Ph,propylene}[PNNP]Ni (5), respectively. The stereoselectivity (racemic vs meso) of these reactions can be controlled by varying the reaction temperature. The racemic mixtures of products with the new alkyl substituents in an anti configuration were favored at lower temperatures, whereas a larger proportion of meso compounds was acquired at higher temperatures. Further treatment of 3 with KH resulted in selective elimination of the remaining phenyl groups rather than the methyl substituents, affording bis(methylphosphide) complex {K(THF)_x}₂^2Me[PNNP]Ni (6). Subsequent treatment of 6 with additional MeI formed ^4Me[PNNP]Ni (7), in which all four phenyl groups were replaced with methyl substituents. As a proof of concept, demetalation of the ligand from 7 was achieved using aqueous KCN to form a free dimethylphosphine-substituted ligand H₂^4Me[PNNP] (8), and 8 was subsequently coordinated to a different metal, using PdCl₂ to form ^4Me[PNNP]Pd (9). Unlike the clean elimination of phenyl substituents from 3, the reactions of KH with 4 and 5 exhibited competitive elimination of both alkyl and phenyl substituents and/or attenuated reactivity.

Reductive Cleavage of Propargylic Ethers with Alkali Metal: Application to the Synthesis of Allenylboronates

Treatment of propargylic ethers with sodium dispersion in the presence of lithium iodide results in the generation of the corresponding carbanion species via cleavage of the propargylic C-O bond. The anionic species react with trimethoxyborane to yield the allenylboronates including highly substituted ones that are difficult to synthesize.

Sodium-Promoted Borylation of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons

Sodium dispersion promotes the reductive borylation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) with MeOBpin. Anthracenes and phenanthrenes are converted to the corresponding dearomatized diborylated products. The reductive diborylation of naphthalene-based small π-systems yields similar yet unstable products that are oxidized into formal C-H borylation products with unique regioselectivity. Pyrene is converted to 1-borylpyrene without the addition of an oxidant. The latter two reactions represent a new route to useful borylated PAHs that rivals C-X borylation and catalytic C-H borylation.

Halogen-sodium exchange enables efficient access to organosodium compounds

With sodium being the most abundant alkali metal on Earth, organosodium compounds are an attractive choice for sustainable chemical synthesis. However, organosodium compounds are rarely used-and are overshadowed by organolithium compounds-because of a lack of convenient and efficient preparation methods. Here we report a halogen-sodium exchange method to prepare a large variety of (hetero)aryl- and alkenylsodium compounds including tri- and tetrasodioarenes, many of them previously inaccessible by other methods. The key discovery is the use of a primary and bulky alkylsodium lacking β-hydrogens, which retards undesired reactions, such as Wurtz-Fittig coupling and β-hydrogen elimination, and enables efficient halogen-sodium exchange. The alkylsodium is readily prepared in situ from neopentyl chloride and an easy-to-handle sodium dispersion. We believe that the efficiency, generality, and convenience of the present method will contribute to the widespread use of organosodium in organic synthesis, ultimately contributing to the development of sustainable organic synthesis by rivalling the currently dominant organolithium reagents.

Highly regio- and stereoselective phosphinylphosphination of terminal alkynes with tetraphenyldiphosphine monoxide under radical conditions

The homolytic cleavage of the P^V(O)–P^III bond in tetraphenyldiphosphine monoxide simultaneously provides both pentavalent and trivalent phosphorus-centered radicals with different reactivities. The method using V-40 as an initiator is successfully investigated for the regio- and stereoselective phosphinylphosphination of terminal alkynes giving the corresponding trans-isomers of 1-diphenylphosphinyl-2-diphenylthiophosphinyl-1-alkenes in good yields. The protocol can be applied to a wide variety of terminal alkynes including both alkyl- and arylalkynes.

Alkali-Metal Mediation: Diversity of Applications in Main-Group Organometallic Chemistry

Organolithium compounds have been at the forefront of synthetic chemistry for over a century, as they mediate the synthesis of myriads of compounds that are utilised worldwide in academic and industrial settings. For that reason, lithium has always been the most important alkali metal in organometallic chemistry. Today, that importance is being seriously challenged by sodium and potassium, as the alkali-metal mediation of organic reactions in general has started branching off in several new directions. Recent examples covering main-group homogeneous catalysis, stoichiometric organic synthesis, low-valent main-group metal chemistry, polymerization, and green chemistry are showcased in this Review. Since alkali-metal compounds are often not the end products of these applications, their roles are rarely given top billing. Thus, this Review has been written to alert the community to this rising unifying phenomenon of "alkali-metal mediation".

Recent Advances in the Use of Sodium Dispersion for Organic Synthesis

This short review describes the recent emergence of organosodium chemistry, motivated by the requirements of modern synthetic chemistry for sustainability, and powered by the use of sodium dispersion, a form of sodium that is commercially available, easy to handle, and has a large active surface area. We present recent methods for the preparation of organosodium compounds using sodium dispersion, and their applications to synthesis. Sodium amides and phosphides are also briefly discussed.

1 Introduction

2 Sodium Dispersion

3 Preparation of Organosodium Compounds

3.1 Two-Electron Reduction of Aryl Halides

3.2 Halogen–Sodium Exchange

3.3 Directed Metalation

3.4 Cleavage of C–C and C–Heteroatom Bonds

4 Synthetic Applications

4.1 Reduction in Combination with a Proton Source

4.1.1 Bouveault–Blanc Reduction

4.1.2 Birch Reduction

4.1.3 Reductive Deuteration

4.1.4 Chemoselective Cleavage of Amides and Nitriles

4.2 Difunctionalization of Alkenes and Alkynes

5 Sodium Amides and Phosphides

6 Conclusions and Outlook

Diverse C-P Cross-Couplings of Arylsulfonium Salts with Diarylphosphines via Selective C-S Bond Cleavage

Diverse C-P cross-couplings of arylthianthrenium salts with diarylphosphines producing various triarylphosphines via highly selective C-S bond cleavage are reported. In the absence of catalyst, the reaction of arylthianthrenium salts with diarylphosphines undergoes phosphinative ring opening exclusively via the cleavage of an endocyclic C-S bond of a thianthrene skeleton. The use of a palladacycle catalyst under otherwise the same conditions enables the phosphination via the cleavage of an exocyclic C-S bond with significantly higher speed.