phonium salts which can undergo further decomposition to tetracovalent phosphorus compounds.
Experimental SectionMaterials. The starting phosphines were prepared by standard techniques or purchased when possible. Their 1H and 31P nmr spectra agreed with literature values.Reactions. Equimolar quantities (ca. 5 X mol of the phosphine and diethyl peroxide) were allowed to react in methylene chloride. Usually the reactants were cooled to at least 0" before mixing. The reactions were monitored by 1H and 31P nmr spectroscopy. In those studies in which other solvents were used the methylene chloride was evaporated at room temperature in cucuo and the residue was dissolved in the appropriate solvent. Benzoic acid was added to each reaction mixture and the formation of ethyl benzoate was demonstrated by glpc.formed by exchange. Once again the compound 19 is quite unstable and it decomposes readily to tetracovalent phosphorus compounds.The relative instability of the compounds with amino nitrogen bonded to phosphorus is not unexpected. Amino nitrogen can stabilize a positive charge on phosphorus and therefore enhance dissociation to phos-Abstract: Solvolysis of trianisylvinyl chloride (1-CI) and bromide (1-Br) and of l-anisyl-2,2-diphenylvinyl bromide (7) in 80% ethanol follows a first-order course in the substrate, is independent of the concentration of added sodium hydroxide, and is only slightly dependent on that of added p-toluenethiolate ion. The solvolysis of 1-Br is 1.75 times faster than that of a-bromo-p-methoxystyrene, excluding the addition-elimination mechanism. The similar rates for 1-Br and 7 point to the absence of P-aryl participation. The Grunwald-Winstein nz values of 0.34-0.53 and the kl-B,/kl.CI value of 58 at 120" are discussed in terms of intermediate vinylic cations in the solvolysis. The reactivity difference between a-bromostyrene and a-phenylethyl bromide is entirely due to activation energy difference. Vinylic and saturated cations are compared.inylic cations were studied very little until recent V years. Lately, they were suggested as intermediates in electrophilic additions to allenes and acetylenes (eq l),* in the deamination of vinylamine~,~ or in the reaction of 2-oxazolidones in basic solution4 or vinyltriazenes in acidic solution5 (eq 2). Ions with contributing vinylic cation structures were observed by nmr,6 and solvolysis products of acetylenic sulfonates ( I ) Presented in part at