A convenient approach to λ5-phosphinines via interaction of phosphorylated 3-pyrrolidinocrotonitrile with 2-bromoacetophenones

The alkylation of 2-(diphenylphosphino)-3-pyrrolidin-1-ylbut-2-enenitrile with a set of bromoacetophenones has been studied. Cyclization of the phosphonium salts into 6-cyano-3-hydroxy-3-aryl-1,1-diphenyl-5-pyrrolidin-1-yl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydrophosphininium bromides under heating in the presence of catalytic amount of a base is discussed. Starting both from the acyclic and the cyclic phosphonium salts, new types of λ5-phosphinines have been synthesized.