Hydrophosphination of Activated Alkenes by a Cobalt(I) Pincer Complex
Roberto Nolla‐Saltiel, Ana M. Geer, Laurence J. Taylor, Olivia Churchill, E. Stephen Davies, William Lewis, Alexander J. Blake, Deborah L. Kays
Abstract
Abstract Herein we report the synthesis of three heteroleptic first‐row transition metal(II) complexes containing carbazolido NNN pincer ligands and conversion to the corresponding metal(I)‐carbonyl complexes via a reductive carbonylation route. These complexes are precatalysts for the hydrophosphination of activated alkenes, affording a cobalt‐catalysed hydrophosphination process that solely and selectively yields the β addition (anti‐Markovnikov) product. The scope of this transformation has been investigated using a variety of activated alkenes. Isolation and characterisation of substrate‐coordinated intermediates reveal available coordination sites, which provide insight into the proposed catalytic cycle. magnified image