. Can. J. Chem. 59,2654Chem. 59, (1981. The cyclic phosphazenes N3P3Ph4Me2, N3P3Me6, and N4P4Me, are deprotonated by alkyllithiums. The resulting carbanions react with monofunctional electrophiles to form phosphazenes carrying the groups PCHzR (R = Me, Br, I, PhC(O), COOH AsMe,, Me3M (M = Si, Ge, Sn)). Two phosphazenyl groups can be joined either by the use of adifunctional halide or by oxidative coupling of organo-copper derivatives. The formation of the carbanions, the extent of deprotonation, substituent orientation, and the dependence of reactivity on ring size, are interpreted in terms of a balance between n-electron energies and electrostatic interactions. Chem. 59,2654Chem. 59, (1981. Les methylphosphazknes cycliques N3P3PbMe,, N3P,Me, et N4P4Me8 sont dkprotones par alkyllithiums. Les carbanions formes reagissent avec des electrophiles monofonctionnels en formant des phosphazenes substitues avec les groupements PCH,R (R = Me, Br, I, PhC(O), COOH, AsMe,, Me3M (M = Si, Ge, Sn)). Deux groupements phosphazenyliques peuvent 2tre unis, soit par un halogenure blfonct~onnel, soit par couplage oxidatif de derives organocupriens. La formation des carbanions, le degre de la deprotonation, I'orientation du substituent, et la dependence de la reactivitk en fonction de la largeur d'anneau, sont interpretes en fonction de I'equilibre entre les energies des electrons-x et des interactions electrostatiques.
Introduction(10). Conjugative interactions, especially, are apThe trimeric and tetrameric methylphospha-Parent in the near-planarity of the Me,NP group in zenes (NPMe,),, were first prepared by the am-the dimeth~lamido~hos~hazenes, N4P4(NMe2)8 (11) monolysis of Me2PC13 (I), and a development of the being the earliest such examplemethod (2) allows the relative yields of the twoThe synthetic possibilities of the acceptor propcompounds to be controlled. The cyclic corn-erties of the ~hosphazene ring have been expounds (NPMe,),, have been synthesized by the ploited only to a limited extent, though they can be alkylation of the corresponding fluorides (3, 4), Seen at their most direct in the reactions of the and, by the use of Grignard reagents, the series has phosphazenyl formed a h~d r i d o~h o s been extended to (NPMe,),, ( 3 , and more recently ~h a z e n e (12). In a preliminary communication (13) to (NPMe,),,.2 There is little doubt that the series We described the deprotonation of neutral methylof ethylphosphazenes (NPEt,),, (6) could be ex-phosphazenes9 and extended the reaction to the tended in the same way. Until recently, the comes-preparation of azaphosphorins from the N-methyl ponding high polymers were not available; only quaternary iodides (NPM~,),.M~I, (n = 3, 4) (14). partial alkylation of (NPF,), could be carried out NOW thatalk~l~hosphazenes can be obtained more without extensive skeletal degradation (7). A poly-easily, a more detailed study of the de~rotonation merit form of (NPM~,), (n .V 650) has now been reaction and its synthetic possibilities is justified. prepared by the elimination of Me3SiX fr...