The continuous enantioselective liquid−liquid extraction of aqueous 3,5-dinitrobenzoyl-d,l-leucine (DNB-d,l-leu) by a cinchona alkaloid extractant (CA) in 1,2-dichloroethane using a centrifugal contact separator (CCS) was studied at 294 K. Typical concentrations were in the order of 1 mM for both DNB-d,l-leu and CA. The best results were found at a pH of 6, with 61% yield for DNB-l-leu and an enantiomeric excess of 34%. Back-extraction studies at different pH values showed that the host can be recovered efficiently in a single CCS, provided that pH > 9. Experimental studies indicate that the CCS behaves as an equilibrium extraction stage, even at total throughputs exceeding 50% of the equipment capacity (1.9 L min−1). A previously developed equilibrium stage extraction model was successfully applied to describe the data for both the extraction and the back-extraction experiments.

The following unsymmetrical diphosphines have been prepared: o-C6H4(CH2PtBu2)(PR2) where R = PtBu2 (L3a); PCg (L3b); PPh2 (L3c); P(o-C6H4CH3)2 (L3d); P(o-C6H4OCH3)2 (L3e) and o-C6H4(CH2PCg)(PCg) (L3f) where PCg is 6-phospha-2,4,8-trioxa-1,3,5,7-tetramethyladamant-6-yl. Hydromethoxycarbonylation of ethene under commercially relevant conditions has been investigated in the presence of Pd complexes of each of the ligands L3a–f and the results compared with those obtained with the commercially used o-C6H4(CH2PtBu2)2 (L1a). The Pd complexes of the bulkiest ligands L3a, L3b and L3f are highly active catalysts but the Pd complexes of L3c, L3d and L3e are completely inactive. The crystal structures of the complexes [PtCl2(L1a)] (1a) and [PtCl2(L3a)] (2a) have been determined and show that the crystallographic bite angles and cone angles are greater for L1a than L3a. Solution NMR studies show that the seven-membered chelate in 1a is more rigid than the six-membered chelate in 2a. Treatment of [PtCl(CH3)(cod)] with L3a–f gave [PtCl(CH3)(L3a–f)] as mixtures of 2 isomers 3a–f and 4a–f. The ratio of the products 4:3 ranges from 100:1 to 1:20, the precise proportion is apparently governed by a balance of two competing factors, steric bulk and the antisymbiotic effect. The palladium complexes [PdCl(CH3)(L3b)] (5b/6b) and [PdCl(CH3)(L3c)] (5c/6c) react with labelled 13CO to give the corresponding acyl species [PdCl(13COCH3)(L3b)] (7b/8b) and [PdCl(13COCH3)(L3c)] (7c/8c). Treatment of [PdCl(13COCH3)(L)] with MeOH gave CH3(13)COOMe rapidly when L = L3b but very slowly when L = L3c paralleling the contrasting catalytic activity of the Pd complexes of these two ligands.

The secondary phosphine CgPH (CgP = 6-phospha-2,4,8-trioxa-1,3,5,7-tetramethyladamantyl group) is made in 50% yield by a modification of the literature method (avoiding high pressures of PH3) by bubbling PH3 through an acidified solution of 2,4-pentanedione at 0 °C. Under similar conditions the ethyl analogue EtCgPH is formed from 3,5-heptanedione in 75% yield. The halophosphines CgPCl and CgPBr are made by treatment of CgPH with N-halosuccinimide. CgPBr is also made by treatment of CgPH with Br2. Three methods are described for the synthesis of CgPR, where R = alkyl: (a) the previously reported acid-catalyzed condensation reaction of RPH2 with 2,4-pentanedione, which has been extended to R = iPr; (b) treatment of CgP(BH3)Li with RX followed by borane deprotection with Et2NH, which has been used for R = iPr, benzyl, n-C20H41; (c) treatment of CgPBr with RMgX, which has been used for R = iPr, Me. The complexes [PtCl2(CgPH)2] (1), [PdCl2(CgPH)2] (2), [PdCl2(CgPR)2] (where R = iPr (3a), Cy (3b)), and [PtCl2(CgPR)2] (where R = iPr (4a), Cy (4b), n-C20H41 (4c)) are described. The crystal structures of CgPH, CgPCl, [CgP(CH2Ph)2]Br, CgP(n-C20H41), and complexes 1, 3b, and 4c are reported. From the ν(CO) values for trans-[RhCl(CO)(CgPX)2], the σ-donor/π-acceptor properties of CgPX are in the order X = iPr > Me > Ph > H > Cl.

The homodiphosphanes CgP-PCg (1) and PhobP-PPhob (2) and the heterodiphosphanes CgP-PPhob (3), CgP-PPh(2) (4a), CgP-P(o-Tol)(2) (4b), CgP-PCy(2) (4c), CgP-P(t)Bu(2) (4d), PhobP-PPh(2) (5a), PhobP-P(o-Tol)(2) (5b), PhobP-PCy(2) (5c), PhobP-P(t)Bu(2) (5d) where CgP = 6-phospha-2,4,8-trioxa-1,3,5,7-tetramethyladamant-9-yl and PhobP = 9-phosphabicyclo[3.3.1]nonan-9-yl have been prepared from CgP(BH(3))Li or PhobP(BH(3))Li and the appropriate halophosphine. The formation of 1 is remarkably diastereoselective, with the major isomer (97% of the product) assigned to rac-1. Restricted rotation about the P-P bond of the bulky meso-1 is detected by variable temperature (31)P NMR spectroscopy. Diphosphane 3 reacts with BH(3) to give a mixture of CgP(BH(3))-PPhob and CgP-PPhob(BH(3)) which was unexpected in view of the predicted much greater electron-richness of the PhobP site. Each of the diphosphanes was treated with dimethylacetylene dicarboxylate (DMAD) in order to determine their propensity for diphosphination. The homodiphosphanes 1 and 2 did not react with DMAD. The CgP-containing heterodiphosphanes 4a-d all added to DMAD to generate the corresponding cis alkenes CgPCH(CO(2)Me)=CH(CO(2)Me)PR(2) (6a-d) which have been used in situ to form chelate complexes of the type [MCl(2)(diphos)] (7a-d) where M = Pd or Pt. The PhobP-containing heterodiphosphanes 3 and 5a-d react anomalously with DMAD and do not give the products of diphosphination. The X-ray crystal structures of the diphosphanes 2, 3, 4a, and 5a, the monoxide and dioxide of diphosphane 1, and the platinum chelate complex 7c have been determined and their structures are discussed.