Azide-Free Synthesis of N-Alkyliminophosphoranes from Phosphines and Hydroxylamine Derivatives

Org Lett. 2023 Mar 17;25(10):1695-1700. doi: 10.1021/acs.orglett.3c00366. Epub 2023 Mar 9.

Abstract

A broadly applicable and efficient method for the synthesis of N-alkyliminophosphoranes from phosphines that does not use potentially hazardous alkyl azides is reported. Under iron catalysis, a hydroxylamine-derived triflic acid salt oxidizes phosphines to a wide range of iminophosphorane triflic acid salts. Diphosphines afford phosphine-iminophosphoranes that can serve as ligands in transition metal complexes. The developed method can be employed in the synthesis of mixed diiminophosphoranes and in a traceless Staudinger ligation.