On the Surface Reactivity of Functionalized Phosphinines on Inorganic Supports

Phosphinines with pendant phenol or catechol functionalities and their gold(I) complexes were synthesised and characterised by spectroscopic data and in one case by a single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction study. Reactions of ligands or complexes with TiO₂ or chloropropyl modified hexagonal mesoporous silica were then studied with the aim to immobilise ligands or complexes on the carrier by covalent tethering. ³¹P MAS NMR studies revealed that immobilisation on TiO₂ was accompanied by complete degradation of the phosphinine moiety. Base induced coupling with chloropropyl modified silica produced a material that contained a mixture of several surface‐bound phosphorus compounds. ³¹P MAS NMR studies revealed that approx. 40 % of the ligand had retained its integrity whereas the remaining fraction had been converted into further, not unambiguously identified structures.