Synthesis and reactivity of the phosphinoboranes R2PB(C6F5)2

The phosphinoboranes R(2)PB(C(6)F(5))(2)](2) (R = Et 1, Ph 2) and R(2)PB(C(6)F(5))(2) (R = tBu 3, Cy 4, Mes 5) were synthesized from the reaction of (C(6)F(5))(2)BCl and the corresponding lithium phosphide. The relationships between B-P distance, P pyramidality, and the extent of BP multiple bonding were further explored computationally. Natural Bond Order (NBO) analyses of 3 and 4 showed that the π-bonding highest occupied molecular orbitals (HOMOs) were highly polarized. In addition the Lewis acid-base adducts, R(2)(H)P·B(H)(C(6)F(5))(2) (R = Et 6; Ph 7; tBu 8; Cy 9; Mes 10) were prepared via the reaction of the phosphines R(2)PH with the borane HB(C(6)F(5))(2). Compounds 1 and 2 showed no signs of reaction with H(2); however, reaction of compounds 3 and 4 with H(2) was observed to give 8 and 9. In a related set of reactions compounds 3 and 4 were reacted with H(3)NBH(3) or Me(2)(H)NBH(3) also led to the generation of 8 and 9, respectively. The reaction profile of the reaction of (CF(3))(2)BPR(2) with H(2) was examined computationally and shown to be exothermic. Efforts to effect the reverse reaction, that is, dehydrogenation of adducts 6-10 were unsuccessful. Compound 4 was also shown to react with 4-tert-butylpyridine to give Cy(2)PB(C(6)F(5))(2)(4-tBuC(5)H(4)N) 11 while reactions of 3 and 4 with the Lewis acid BCl(3) gave the dimers (R(2)PBCl(2))(2) (R = tBu 12, Cy 13) and the byproduct ClB(C(6)F(5))(2).