Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 17, 2025

Facile Protocol for the Synthesis of Self-assembling Polyamine-based Peptide Amphiphiles PPAs and Related Biomaterials
Published on: June 25, 2018
Multicomponent Synthesis of Poly(α-aminophosphine chalcogenide)s and Subsequent Depolymerization
Jan-Willem Lamberink-Ilupeju1, Mathew J Willans1, Joe B Gilroy1
1Department of Chemistry, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario N6A 587, Canada.
Abstract:
Multicomponent reactions of primary phosphines (R-PH2), diimines (R'-N═C(H)-R-(H)C═N-R'), and chalcogens (O2, S8) generate poly(α-aminophosphine chalcogenide)s (4-7) through step-growth polymerization. Characterization of the linear polymers using 31P{1H} diffusion-ordered NMR spectroscopy (DOSY) experiments aided in determining the molecular weight (Mw) of the material. Subjecting the polyphosphine oxide or sulfide to reducing conditions in the presence of a Lewis acid resulted in complete depolymerization of the polymers, quantitatively releasing the 1° phosphine and diimine (2) starting materials, with concomitant reduction of diimine to diamine (9).
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Preparation of 1° Amines: Gabriel Synthesis
Strong bases like NaOH or KOH deprotonate the phthalimide to form the corresponding anion, which acts as a nucleophile. Further, the anion attacks an...
Step-Growth Polymerization: Overview
Many natural and synthetic polymers are produced by...
Anionic Chain-Growth Polymerization: Overview
Cationic Chain-Growth Polymerization: Mechanism
Preparation of Alkynes: Dehydrohalogenation
Alkynes can be prepared by dehydrohalogenation of vicinal or geminal dihalides in the presence of a strong base like sodium amide in liquid ammonia. The reaction proceeds with the loss of two equivalents of hydrogen halide (HX) via two successive E2 elimination reactions.
Preparation of Alkynes: Alkylation Reaction
Alkylation of terminal alkynes with primary alkyl halides in the presence of a strong base like sodium amide is one of the common methods for the synthesis of longer carbon-chain alkynes. For example, treatment of 1-propyne with sodium amide followed by reaction with ethyl bromide yields 2-pentyne.

