Reaction of terminal phosphinidene complexes with aldimines: Synthesis of the first 1,2,3-azadiphosphetidine

Transient terminal phosphinidene complexes RP-M(CO)₅] (M = Mo, W, R = Ph, Me), as generated from the corresponding 7-phosphanorbornadiene complexes, react with N-methyl(benzylidene)amine to afford the diazaphospholane complexes 3,4 (R = Ph) or a mixture of diazaphospholane 9 and 1,2,3-azadiphosphetidine 10 (R = Me), probably by insertion of either one molecule of imine or one molecule of phosphinidene into the weak P N bond of the unstable intermediate azaphosphiridine 11. The new complex 10 has been submitted to an X-ray crystal structure analysis. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Heteroatom Chem 9: 597–600, 1998