Isolation and Reactivity of Homoleptic Diphosphene Lead Complexes

Angew Chem Int Ed Engl. 2023 Nov 27;62(48):e202312837. doi: 10.1002/anie.202312837. Epub 2023 Oct 27.

Abstract

Due to their limited capacity for π-backdonation, isolation of π-complexes of main-group elements remains a great challenge. We report herein the synthesis of a homoleptic diphosphene lead complex (2) from the degradation of P4 with a bis(germylene)-stabilized Pb(0) complex. Structural and computational studies showed that 2 possesses significant π bonding interactions between Pb atom and diphosphene ligands, which is reminiscent of transition-metal diphosphene complexes. Consistent with its unique electronic structure, complex 2 can deliver Pb(0) atoms to perform redox reaction with an iminoquinone to produce a cyclic plumbylene (4) and perform 2,5-dimethyl-3,4-dimethylimidazol-1-ylidene (IMe2 Me2 ) induced phosphorus cation abstraction to give an anionic PbP3 complex (6).

Keywords: Carboranes; Diphosphene; P4 Activation; Plumbylone; π-Complex.