Aryl-bis(triorganylphosphine)nickel phenoxides

Compounds of general formulatrans-ArNi(PR₃)₂OAr' (R = Et, cyclohexyl; Ar = 2-MeC₆H₄, 2-FC₆H₄; Ar' = 4-FC₆H₄, 4-NO₂C₆H₄) were synthesized by the reaction of Ar'OK with cationic nickel complexes generated by treatment of ArNi(PR₃)₂Cl with TlBF₄. Syntheses of 4-fluorophenoxide complexes, ArNi(PR₃)₂OC₆H₄F-4, additionally give some quantities oftrans-[ArNi(PR₃)₂OC₆H₄F-4][HOC₆H₄F-4] adducts. Exchange reactions MeC₆H₄Ni(PEt₃)₂OC₆H₄F-4 + XC₆H₄OH 2-MeC₆H₄Ni(PEt₃)₂OC₆H₄X + 4-FC₆H₄OH were studied in THF. The equilibrium is shifted to the right as the acidity of ArOH increases. A linear relationship between lgK_eq and pK_a of XC₆H₄OH in DMSO was found. A conclusion concerning the strong polarization of the Ni-O bond was made on the basis of an analysis of the chemical shifts of fluorine atoms in 2-MeC₆H₄Ni(PEt₃)₂OC₆H₄F-4.Translated fromIvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 11, pp. 2266–2271, November, 1995.