Experimental and theoretical investigations of structural isomers of dichalcogenoimidodiphosphinate dimers: dichalcogenides or spirocyclic contact ion pairs?
A synthetic protocol for the tert-butyl-substituted dichalcogenoimidodiphosphinates [Na(tmeda){(EPtBu(2))(2)N}] (3 a, E=S; 3 b, E=Se; 3 c, E=Te) has been developed. The one-electron oxidation of the sodium complexes [Na(tmeda){(EPR(2))(2)N}] with iodine produces a series of neutral dimers (EPR(2)NPR(2)E--)(2) (4 b, E=Se, R=iPr; 4 c, E=Te, R=iPr; 5 a, E=S, R=tBu; 5 b, E=Se, R=tBu; 5 c, E=Te, R=tBu). Attempts to prepare 4 a (E=S, R=iPr) in a similar manner produced a mixture including HN(SPiPr(2)). Compounds 4 b, 4 c and 5 a-c were characterised by multinuclear NMR spectra and by X-ray crystallography, which revealed two alternative structures for these dimeric molecules. The derivatives 4 b,…
New Insights into the Chemistry of Imidodiphosphinates from Investigations of Tellurium-Centered Systems
Dichalcogenido-imidodiphosphinates, [N(PR(2)E)(2)](-) (R = alkyl, aryl), are chelating ligands that readily form cyclic complexes with main group metals, transition metals, lanthanides, and actinides. Since their discovery in the early 1960s, researchers have studied the structural chemistry of the resulting metal complexes (where E = O, S, Se) extensively and identified a variety of potential applications, including as NMR shift reagents, luminescent complexes in photonic devices, or single-source precursors for metal sulfides or selenides. In 2002, a suitable synthesis of the tellurium analogs [N(PR(2)Te)(2)](-) was developed. In this Account, we describe comprehensive investigations of t…