Organic Transformations Catalysed by Low-Coordinate m-Terphenyl Complexes

Abstract

The use of sterically demanding m-terphenyl ligands allows the isolation of highly unsaturated transition metal complexes which show unusual bonding modes and reactivity [1,2,3,4]. In addition to stoichiometric reactivity towards small molecules, these complexes are efficient precatalysts for the cyclotrimerisation of isocyanates ( Figure 1); they exhibit high selectivity and allow the formation of mixed species through cross-coupling reactions [5]. Significantly, we have also demonstrated the catalysis of hydrophosphination reactions that produce mono-(M) or diinsertion (D) phosphinocarboxamide products selectively (Figure 1) [2]. Diinsertion products D, asymmetric phosphorus analogues of biuret, are a new family of derivatised phosphinodicarboxamides.