Synthesis and characterization of triarylphosphine complexes of zinc(II) halides

Both 1:1 and 1:2 complexes are formed by zinc(II) halides and triarylphosphines unless electronic and/or steric factors intervene. Tri‐p‐chlorophosphine (a weaker base than PPh₃) forms only a 1:1 complex, whereas bulky tri‐(ortho‐substituted phenyl)phosphines do not react. The complexes ZnX₂PR₃ and ZnX₂(PR₃)₂ have been characterized by elemental analyses, conductance, far‐IR and (in a few cases) Raman spectral studies. The Zn–X and Zn–P stretching and Zn–X bending vibrational frequencies have been assigned in the complexes with a pseudo‐tetrahedral structure of C_2v symmetry. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.