The synthesis of a series of cyclic pentaoxyphosphoranes
containing a sulfonyl group was carried out by
the reaction of either
P(OCH2CF3)3 or
P(OPh)3 with the appropriate diol in an oxidative addition
reaction: O2S[(t-Bu)MeC6H2O]2P(OCH2CF3)3
(1),
O2S[(t-Bu)MeC6H2O]2P(OPh)3
(2),
O2S[(t-Bu)2C6H2O]2P(OCH2CF3)3
(4), and O2S[(t-Bu)2C6H2O]2P(OPh)3
(5). Reaction of 2 with catechol yielded
O2S[(t-Bu)MeC6H2O]2P(OPh)(C6H4O2)
(3). X-ray
studies provided the structures of 1−5,
although 4 was badly disordered. The geometries of
2, 3, and 5 are
octahedral
due to P−O coordination provided by the sulfonyl group, whereas
1 and 4 are trigonal bipyramidal. Solution
31P,
1H, and 19F NMR spectra demonstrate that
1 and 4 exist in isomeric modifications.
These are formulated as a
pentacoordinate structure, as in the solid state, and a hexacoordinate
structure. This represents the first study
establishing intramolecular intraconversion between penta- and
hexacoordinate isomers of phosphorus. An activation
free energy of 17 kcal/mol for the exchange process for 1
and 4 was obtained from variable temperature 1H
NMR
spectra.