Making the unconventional μ²-P bridging binding mode more conventional in phosphinine complexes

Area of Science:

• Organometallic Chemistry
• Coordination Chemistry
• Heterocyclic Chemistry

Background:

• Phosphinines typically coordinate metals via P-sigma or phosphinine-pi complexes.
• The μ²-P bridging coordination mode in phosphinines is infrequently observed.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how varying electronic configurations of phosphinines influence their coordination modes.
• To explore the coordination chemistry of anionic phosphinin-2-olates and neutral phosphinin-2-ols with coinage metals.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of anionic phosphinin-2-olates and neutral phosphinin-2-ols.
• Detailed study of coordination chemistry with gold(I) and copper(I) complexes.
• Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations to support experimental findings.

Main Results:

• Anionic phosphinin-2-olates exhibit a greater propensity for μ²-P bridging coordination compared to neutral phosphinin-2-ols.
• The study successfully elucidates factors favoring the unconventional μ²-P bridging mode.

Conclusions:

• Electronic configuration significantly impacts phosphinine coordination behavior.
• This research provides insights for utilizing the μ²-P bridging mode in synthesizing polynuclear metal complexes.