Solid-State Investigation, Storage, and Separation of Pyrophoric PH3 and P2 H4 with α-Mg Formate.

Phosphane, PH3 -a highly pyrophoric and toxic gas-is frequently contaminated with H2 and P2 H4 , which makes its handling even more dangerous. The inexpensive metal-organic framework (MOF) magnesium formate, α-[Mg(O2 CH)2 ], can adsorb up to 10 wt % of PH3 . The PH3 -loaded MOF, PH3 @α-[Mg(O2 CH)2 ], is a non-pyrophoric, recoverable material that even allows brief handling in air, thereby minimizing the hazards associated with the handling and transport of phosphane. α-[Mg(O2 CH)2 ] further plays a critical role in purifying PH3 from H2 and P2 H4 : at 25 °C, H2 passes through the MOF channels without adsorption, whereas PH3 adsorbs readily and only slowly desorbs under a flow of inert gas (complete desorption time≈6 h). Diphosphane, P2 H4 , is strongly adsorbed and trapped within the MOF for at least 4 months. P2 H4 @α-[Mg(O2 CH)2 ] itself is not pyrophoric and is air- and light-stable at room temperature.

PH-Functional Phosphines with 1,1'-Biphenyl-2,2'-bis(methylene) and 1,1'-Binaphthyl-2,2'-bis(methylene) Backbones.

The first PH-functional phosphines (1, 3, and 5) containing the 1,1'-binaphthyl-2,2'-bis(methylene) or 1,1'-biphenyl-2,2'-bis(methylene) backbone have been obtained by two-phase phosphination of 2,2'-bis(halomethyl)-1,1'-binaphthyls with PH(3) or in a protected-group synthesis using P(SiMe(3))(3) as the starting material. The 4,5-dihydro-3H-dinaphtho[2,1-c:1',2'-e]phosphepine (1) is configurationally stable, as indicated by the inequivalence of the two CH(2) and naphthyl substituents in the (13)C{(1)H} NMR spectra. The X-ray crystal structure of 1.0.5C(6)H(5)CH(3) shows an intracyclic C-P-C angle of 99.5(2) degrees, the interplanar angle of the phosphepine ring system being 67.6(5) degrees. The borane adduct 7 of the secondary phosphine 1 has been employed for the syntheses of atropisomeric mono- and bidentate ligands (8-14) with the bulky 1,1'-binaphthyl moieties. Results of force field calculations on the conformations of 1, 3, and 14 are presented. The ability of these phosphines to form mononuclear and polynuclear complexes with transition-metal centers is discussed. Compound 14 exhibits a large variety of low-energy conformations, and some of them seem to be capable of forming mononuclear transition-metal complexes.