Small Molecule Activation Based on Novel Heavier Group 13/15 Interelement Compounds, λ3,λ3-Phosphanylalumanes

Abstract

As a new entry of heteroatom-heteroatom bond species, λ3,λ3-phosphanylalumanes, having an unperturbed P–Al single-bond species are expected to show high reactivity due to the separation of Lewis acid/base moieties, which can be extended to develop novel small molecule activation reactions using single-bond and saturated-compounds. We have designed novel λ3,λ3-phosphanylalumanes, which have all-carbon protecting groups on the λ3-P and λ3-Al moieties, respectively. This account highlights the synthesis and availability of phosphanylalumane derivatives. We demonstrate the addition reactions of phosphanylalumanes toward alkynes to give unique unsaturated C2-vicinal P/Al-based frustrated Lewis pairs and the resulting alkyne-adducts are found to undergo transformation into unique ring-compounds. Furthermore, reversible addition reactions of a λ3,λ3-phosphanylalumane toward alkenes will also be described together with the results obtained with other small molecules. As a new entry of interelement bond species, novel λ3,λ3-phosphanylalumanes are designed. Addition reactions of phosphanylalumanes toward alkynes are found to give unique unsaturated C2-vicinal P/Al-based FLPs and the resulting alkyne-adducts undergo transformation into unique ring-compounds. Furthermore, reversible addition reactions of a λ3,λ3-phosphanylalumane toward alkenes are also investigated.