The Anion of a Phenyltris(alkylamino)phosphonium (PhTAP) Salt as a Chelating Ligand: Synthesis and X-ray Crystal Structure of a 16-Electron Ruthenium(II) Organometallic Complex

The phosphonium salt
[PhP(NHiPr)3]Br has
been synthesized, and the ligand properties
of its deprotonated forms have been investigated. Treatment of its
dilithiate
Li2[PhP(NiPr)3] with the dimer
[(η-p-cymene)RuCl2]2
provides the unsaturated 16-electron cation [(η-p-cymene)Ru{η2-(iPrN)2PPh(NHiPr)}]+
which adds cyanide and carbon monoxide (reversibly)
and has been structurally characterized as its tetraphenylborate salt.