Double insertion of benzophenone into thorium-phosphorus bonds

Abstract The reactivity of thorium-phosphorus bonds was investigated with benzophenone. The insertion of two equivalents of benzophenone into both thorium-phosphorus bonds in (C 5 Me 5 ) 2 Th[PH(2,4,6-R 3 C 6 H 2 )] 2 , R = Me or i Pr, was observed. In addition, a new thorium polyphosphide complex, (C 5 Me 5 ) 2 Th(P 3 Ph 3 ) is reported from the reaction of (C 5 Me 5 ) 2 ThCl 2 with Na 2 (P 4 Ph 4 )(DME) 3 .