Synthesis, structure, and bonding properties of 5-carbaphosphatranes: a new class of main group atrane

1-Hydro-5-carbaphosphatrane (1) and 1-methyl-5-carbaphosphatrane (2), the first 5-carbon analogues of phosphatranes, were synthesized by a demethylation reaction of cyclic phosphinate 3. X-ray analysis revealed that 1 has a typical trigonal bipyramidal structure with hydrogen and carbon atoms at the apical position and three oxygen atoms at the equatorial positions, indicating that 1 is a phosphorane in the perfectly "anti-apicophilic" arrangement. Apical P-C and P-H bond lengths were 1.921(2) and 1.38(2) A, respectively. The (1)J(PH) value of 1 and the (1)J(PC)(P-CH(3)) value of 2 were 852 and 215 Hz, respectively, which are extraordinarily large for the apical coupling constants of phosphoranes, but close to those of the reported phosphatranes with a 5-nitrogen atom. IR and Raman spectra are also reported. Force constant calculations indicate the transannular bond in carbaphosphatrane is 3 times stronger than in silatrane, due to its covalent character.