Facile synthesis of unsymmetrical 9-phospha- and 9-arsafluorenes

Unsymmetrical 9-chloro-9-phosphafluorenes (dibenzophospholes) and 9-chloro-9-arsafluorenes (dibenzoarsoles) have been obtained by simple thermolysis of m-terphenyldichlorophosphines and -arsines in close to quantitative yields. The reaction temperatures are about 200 degrees C for the phosphines and 140 degrees C for the arsine, and the reactions are complete within 5 min. Alternatively, these compounds can be synthesized through an AlCl3-catalyzed Friedel-Crafts type ring-closure reaction at low temperatures, but this method suffers from difficult workup procedures. The P(As)-Cl functionality is readily alkylated. Methylation of m-xylyl derivative 4 afforded 1-(3,5-dimethylphenyl)-6,8,9-trimethyl-9-phosphafluorene, 11. The latter compound formed the complexes 11 x Fe(CO)4, 12, and 11 x RuCl2(eta(6)-p-cymene), 13, indicating its good donor properties. The new compounds have been characterized by 1H, 13C{1H}, and 31P{1H} NMR spectroscopy; mass spectrometry; and single-crystal X-ray crystallography in the case of 11, 12, and 13.