A Simple and Convenient Strategy for the Synthesis of Novel Ten,Twelve, and Fourteen‐membered Phosphorus Macrocyclic Compounds

Synthesis of the title compounds 4(a – i) was accomplished through a two‐step process. The synthetic route involves the cyclization of equimolar quantities of 2,2′‐methylene(methyl)bis(4,6‐di‐tert‐butyl‐phenol) ( 1 ) with tris‐(2‐chloro‐ethyl) phosphite ( 2a ), tris‐(2‐bromo‐ethyl) phosphine ( 2b ), and tris‐bromo methyl phosphine ( 2c ) in the presence of sodium hydride in dry tetrahydrofuran at 45–50°C. They were further converted to the corresponding oxides, sulfides, and selenides under N₂ atmosphere by reacting them with hydrogen peroxide, sulfur, and selenium, respectively ( 4a – c , 4d – f, and 4g – i ). But the compounds 6a , b were prepared by the direct cyclocondensation of equimolar quantities of 1 with (2‐chloro‐ethyl)‐phosphonic acid dibromomethyl ester ( 5a ) and (2‐chloro‐ethyl)‐phosphonic acid bis(2‐bromo‐ethyl) ester ( 5b ) in the presence of sodium hydride in dry tetrahydrofuran at 45–50°C in moderate yields. All the newly synthesized compounds 4 ( a – i ) and 6 ( a – b ) exhibited moderate in vitro antibacterial and antifungal activities.