O-Tolyl/benzyl dithiocarbonates of phosphorus(III) and (V): syntheses and characterization

O-Tolyl/benzyl dithiocarbonates, ROCS2Na (R = o-, m-, or p-CH3C6H4–, and –CH2C6H5), were synthesized and characterized. These new ligands reacted with PCl3/POCl3 in refluxing toluene which resulted in the formation of phosphorus(III) and phosphorus(V) tolyl/benzyl dithiocarbonates corresponding to [(ROCS2) n PCl3−n ] and [(ROCS2) n POCl3−n ] (R = o-, m-, or p-CH3C6H4–, and –CH2C6H5; n = 1, 2, 3). These pale yellow liquid compounds were characterized by IR, mass, and NMR (1H, 13C, and 31P) spectral studies, which suggest the dithiocarbonate ligands bind in a monodentate mode leading to P–S–C linkages in these derivatives.