Light‐Induced Rearrangement of Thioether‐Substituted Phosphanide Ligands: Scope and Limitations of a Remarkable Isomerization

Treatment of the thioether‐substituted secondary phosphanes R²PH(C₆H₄‐2‐SR¹) R²=(Me₃Si)₂CH, R¹=Me ( 1_PH ), iPr ( 2_PH ), Ph ( 3_PH ); R²=tBu, R¹=Me ( 4_PH ); R²=Ph, R¹=Me ( 5_PH )] with nBuLi yields the corresponding lithium phosphanides, which were isolated as their THF ( 1 – 5_Pa ) and tmeda ( 1 – 5_Pb ) adducts. Solid‐state structures were obtained for the adducts R²P(C₆H₄‐2‐SR¹)]Li(L)_n R²=(Me₃Si)₂CH, R¹=nPr, (L)_n=tmeda ( 2_Pb ); R²=(Me₃Si)₂CH, R¹=Ph, (L)_n=tmeda ( 3_Pb ); R²=Ph, R¹=Me, (L)_n=(THF)_1.33 ( 5_Pa ); R²=Ph, R¹=Me, (L)_n=(12]crown‐4)₂ ( 5_Pc )]. Treatment of 1_PH with either PhCH₂Na or PhCH₂K yields the heavier alkali metal complexes {(Me₃Si)₂CH}P(C₆H₄‐2‐SMe)]M(THF)_n M=Na ( 1_Pd ), K ( 1_Pe )]. With the exception of 2_Pa and 2_Pb , photolysis of these complexes with white light proceeds rapidly to give the thiolate species R²P(R¹)(C₆H₄‐2‐S)]M(L)_n M=Li, L=THF ( 1_Sa , 3_Sa – 5_Sa ); M=Li, L=tmeda ( 1_Sb , 3_Sb – 5_Sb ); M=Na, L=THF ( 1_Sd ); M=K, L=THF ( 1_Se )] as the sole products. The compounds 3_Sa and 4_Sa may be desolvated to give the cyclic oligomers {(Me₃Si)₂CH}P(Ph)(C₆H₄‐2‐S)]Li]₆ (( 3_S )₆) and tBuP(Me)(C₆H₄‐2‐S)]Li]₈ (( 4_S )₈), respectively. A mechanistic study reveals that the phosphanide–thiolate rearrangement proceeds by intramolecular nucleophilic attack of the phosphanide center at the carbon atom of the substituent at sulfur. For 2_Pa / 2_Pb , competing intramolecular β‐deprotonation of the n‐propyl substituent results in the elimination of propene and the formation of the phosphanide–thiolate dianion {(Me₃Si)₂CH}P(C₆H₄‐2‐S)]^2?.