Synthesis, Characterization, and Reactivity of an Acyclic Alkyl-Imino-Phosphenium Cation

Abstract

An acyclic alkyl-imino phosphenium cation stabilized by an N-heterocyclic imine (NHI) is reported, revealing how scaffold modification unlocks reactivity inaccessible to classical phosphenium platforms. The cation displays pronounced Lewis acidity, ambiphilic cycloaddition reactivity, and N–H bond oxidative addition-like reactivity that is unprecedented for acyclic phosphenium platforms. These findings demonstrate that strategic modification of the phosphenium scaffold enables new modes of bond activation, expanding on the reactivity of acyclic phosphenium cations.