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Updated: Mar 14, 2026
Preparation and Use of Carbonyl-decorated Carbenes in the Activation of White Phosphorus
Published on: October 3, 2014
Selective P4 Activation by a Highly Reduced Cobaltate: Synthesis of Dicobalt Tetraphosphido Complexes
Stefan Pelties1, Thomas Maier1, Dirk Herrmann1
1Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, University of Regensburg, 93040, Regensburg, Germany.
Abstract:
Although the chemistry of transition metal polyphosphide anions has attracted significant attention, there are few reports of studies in which such species have been synthesized directly from white phosphorus. [K(OEt2 )2 {Co(BIAN)(cod)}] (1, BIAN=1,2-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenylimino)acenaphthene, cod=1,5-cyclooctadiene), which is readily prepared by ligand exchange from [K(thf)x {Co(cod)2 }], reacts with P4 to afford [{K(thf)}2 {(BIAN)Co}2 (μ-η4 :η4 -P4 )] (2 a) in 61 % yield (isolated product). [{K(OEt2 )}2 {(BIAN)Co}2 (μ-η4 :η4 -P4 )] (2 b) and [K([18]crown-6)(MeCN)]2 [{(BIAN)Co}2 (μ-η4 :η4 -P4 )] (2 c) were obtained by recrystallizing 2 a from diethyl ether and acetonitrile (and using [18]crown-6 in case of 2 c). Oxidation of 2 a with [Cp2 Fe]BArF4 (one equivalent) and subsequent recrystallization of the product from different solvents gave [K(OEt2 ){(BIAN)Co}2 (μ-η4 :η4 -P4 )] (3 a) and [K(dme)4 ][{(BIAN)Co}2 (μ-η4 :η4 -P4 )] (3 b; dme=1,2-dimethoxyethane). Neutral [{(BIAN)Co}2 (μ-η4 :η4 -P4 )] (4) was obtained in moderate yield by oxidizing 2 a with two equivalents of [Cp2 Fe]BArF4 . The new complexes were characterized by NMR, EPR (in the case of 3 a), and UV/Vis spectroscopy, and elemental analysis. The molecular structures revealed by X-ray crystallography display planar cyclic or open-chain P44- units sandwiched between {(BIAN)Co} fragments.
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