Synthesis and Structural Characterization of Phosphine-Borane-Stabilized Dicarbanions with either Rigid or Flexible Spacers

The reaction between 1,2-C6H4(CH2Cl)2 and 2 equiv of in situ generated [R2P(BH3)]Li in THF gives the corresponding o-phenylene-bridged bis(phosphine–boranes) 1,2-C6H4{CH2P(BH3)R2}2 (R = iPr (1a), Ph (2a), Cy (3a)). Treatment of 1a–3a with 2 equiv of nBuLi and 2 equiv of tmeda yields the corresponding phosphine–borane-stabilized carbanion (PBC) complexes [1,2-C6H4{CHP(BH3)R2}2][Li(tmeda)]2·nL (R = iPr, n = 0 (1b); R = Ph, nL = THF (2b); R = Cy, nL = 2PhCH3 (3b)). In contrast, treatment of 1a with 2 equiv of MeK, followed by 2 equiv of pmdeta, yields the monodeprotonation product [1,2-C6H4{CHP(BH3)iPr2}{CH2P(BH3)iPr2}][K(pmdeta)] (1c), due to a competing side reaction with the solvent. Treatment of 1a and 3a with the less aggressive metalating agent PhCH2K gives the corresponding dipotassium salts, the latter of which was isolated as the adduct [1,2-C6H4{CHP(BH3)Cy2}2][K(pmdeta)]2 (3c). X-ray crystallography reveals that 1b–3b adopt similar structures in which the lithium ions are coordinated by the carbani...