We present the activation of CO2 by aminophosphinoboranes along with the mechanism of CO2 phosphinoboration.

The reactivity of an anionic phosphanylphosphinidene complex of tungsten(VI), [(2,6-i-Pr2C6H3N)2(Cl)W(η(2)-t-Bu2P═P)]Li·3DME toward PMe3, halogenophosphines, and iodine was investigated. Reaction of the starting complex with Me3P led to formation of a new neutral phosphanylphosphinidene complex, [(2,6-i-Pr2C6H3N)2(Me3P)W(η(2)-t-Bu2P═P)]. Reactions with halogenophosphines yielded new catena-phosphorus complexes. From reaction with Ph2PCl and Ph2PBr, a complex with an anionic triphosphorus ligand t-Bu2P-P((-))-PPh2 was isolated. The main product of reaction with PhPCl2 was a tungsten(VI) complex with a pentaphosphorus ligand, t-Bu2P-P((-))-P(Ph)-P((-))-P-t-Bu2. Iodine reacted with the starting complex as an electrophile under splitting of the P-P bond in the t-Bu2P═P unit to yield [(1,2-η-t-Bu2P-P-P-t-Bu2)W(2,6-i-Pr2C6H3N)2Cl], t-Bu2PI, and phosphorus polymers. The molecular structures of the isolated products in the solid state and in solution were established by single crystal X-ray diffraction and NMR spectroscopy.

A series of monomeric amino- and aryl(diphosphino)boranes has been synthesized and structurally characterized.