Cyclodextrin phosphanes as first and second coordination sphere cavitands

The binding properties of two alpha-cyclodextrins, each containing two C(5)-linked "CH(2)PPh(2)" units, L 1 (A,D-substituted) and L 2 (A,C-substituted), have been investigated. Both ligands readily form transition-metal chelate complexes in which the metal centres are immobilised at the cavity entrance. Although diphosphane L 1 displays a marked tendency to behave only as a trans-spanning ligand, the ligand possesses a certain degree of flexibility, for example, allowing the stabilisation of a trigonal silver(I) complex in which the bite angle drops to 143 degrees. Another feature of L 1 concerns its ability to function as an hemilabile ligand. Together with four methoxy groups anchored onto the primary face, the two P(III) centres of L 1 form a circularly arranged P(2)O(4) 12-electron donor set able to complex an Ag(+) ion in a dynamic way, each of the four oxygen atoms coordinating successively to the silver ion. Furthermore, the particular structures of L 1 and L 2, characterised by the presence of P(III) units lying close to the cavity entrance, lead upon complexation to complexes whereby the first coordination sphere is partly entrapped in the cyclodextrin. Thus, when treated with metal chlorides, both ligands systematically produce complexes in which the Mbond;Cl unit is maintained inside the cyclodextrin through weak Cl.H-5 interactions. The chelate complex Ag(L 1)]BF(4) reacts with acetonitrile in excess to afford a mixture of two equilibrating complexes, Ag(acetonitrile)(L 1)]BF(4) and Ag(acetonitrile)(2)(L 1)]BF(4), whose coordinated nitriles lie inside the cyclodextrin cavity. The inner-cavity ligands can be substituted by a benzonitrile molecule. The present study provides the first identification of an Ag(acetonitrile)(2)(phosphane)(2)](+) ion. The unexpected stabilisation of this species probably rests on a cavity effect, the cyclodextrin walls favouring recombination of the complex after facile dissociation of the nitrile ligands.