P-Amino-cyclopentadienylidene-phosphoranes versus P-cyclopentadienyl-iminophosphoranes--tautomeric protic forms of a new bidentate CpPN ligand system.

The Staudinger reaction of cyclopentadienyl-phosphanes C5H5-PMe2 (P1), C5H5-PPh2 (P2), and C5Me4H-PMe2 (P3) with azides Me3SiN3, 1-AdN3 (Ad = 1-adamantyl) and DipN3 (Dip = 2,6-diisopropylphenyl) has been studied. The nature of the products depends on the substituents at the C5 ring, at the phosphorus and nitrogen atoms: A series of new P-amino-cyclopentadienylidene-phosphoranes 2-6 was synthesized by reactions of P1-P3 with 1-AdN3 (2-4) and DipN3 (5,6). In contrast, P-cyclopentadienyl-iminophosphoranes 1 and 7 were obtained as predominant tautomers by reaction of less CH-acidic P3 with less N-basic Me3SiN3 and DipN3. Both tautomers are protonated forms of ambident, potentially chelating constrained-geometry ligands. The molecular structures of three members of this "CpPN" ligand family, 3, 4 and 6, are characterized by X-ray crystallography.