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Exposure of 10π-electron benzazaphosphole 1 to HCl, followed by nucleophilic substitution with the Grignard reagent BrMgCCPh afforded alkynyl functionalized 3 featuring an exocyclic –CC–Ph group with an elongated P–C bond (1.7932(19) Å). Stoichiometric experiments revealed that treatment of trans -Pd(PEt 3 ) 2 (Ar)( i ) (Ar = p -Me ( C ) or p -F ( D )) with 3 generated trans -Pd(PEt 3 ) 2 (Ar)(CCPh) (Ar = p -Me ( E ) or p -F ( F )), 5 , which is the result of ligand exchange between P–I byproduct 4 and C/D , and the reductively eliminated product (Ar–CC–Ph). Cyclic voltammetry studies showed and independent investigations confirmed 4 is also susceptible to redox processes including bimetallic oxidative addition to Pd(0) to give Pd( i ) dimer 6-Pd2-(P(t-Bu)3)2 and reduction to diphosphine 7 . During catalysis, we hypothesized that this unwanted reactivity could be circumvented by employing a source of fluoride as an additive. This was demonstrated by conducting a Sonogashira-type reaction between 1-iodotoluene and 3 in the presence of 10 mol% Na 2 PdCl 4 , 20 mol% P( t -Bu)Cy 2 , and 5 equiv. of tetramethylammonium fluoride (TMAF), resulting in turnover and the isolation of Ph–CC–( o -Tol) as the major product.