Reactivity of N-(isocyanoimino)triphenylphosphorane toward group 13 Lewis acids

Abstract

The species Ph₃PNNC 1 reacts with the group 13 Lewis acids E(C₆F₅)₃ (E = B or Al), HB(C₆F₅)₂, ClAl(C₆F₅)₂ and ECl₃ (E = Ga or In) to give the Lewis acid–base adduct Ph₃PNNCB(C₆F₅)₃ 2, the zwitterionic product (Ph₃PNH)B(C₆F₅)₂CNB(C₆F₅)₂H 3, the chelated salts [(Ph₃PNNC(CN)NPPh₃)ER₂][EX₂R₂] (E = Al, R = X = C₆F₅, 4; E = Al, R = C₆F₅, X = Cl, 5; E = Ga, R = X = Cl, 6), and the neutral species [(Ph₃PNNC(CN)NPPh₃)InCl₃] 7. The nature of these variations in reactivity are rationalized and the potential utility considered.