Isolation and Reactivity of Homoleptic Diphosphene Lead Complexes
Ming Chen, Zhaoyin Zhang, Jun Liu, Gongyu Li, Lili Zhao, Zhenbo Mo
Abstract
Abstract Due to their limited capacity for π‐backdonation, isolation of π‐complexes of main‐group elements remains a great challenge. We report herein the synthesis of a homoleptic diphosphene lead complex ( 2 ) from the degradation of P 4 with a bis(germylene)‐stabilized Pb(0) complex. Structural and computational studies showed that 2 possesses significant π bonding interactions between Pb atom and diphosphene ligands, which is reminiscent of transition‐metal diphosphene complexes. Consistent with its unique electronic structure, complex 2 can deliver Pb(0) atoms to perform redox reaction with an iminoquinone to produce a cyclic plumbylene ( 4 ) and perform 2,5‐dimethyl‐3,4‐dimethylimidazol‐1‐ylidene (IMe 2 Me 2 ) induced phosphorus cation abstraction to give an anionic PbP 3 complex ( 6 ).