Lithiation studies of [PhP(CH2Ph)3]Cl; X-ray crystal structure of the phosphoniodiylide [(TMEDA)Li(PhCH)2PPh(CH2Ph)] and its rhodium and chromium complexes

Treatment of the phosphonium salt [PhP(CH2Ph)3]Cl with three molar equivalents of nBuLi gives the dilithiated species [Li2PhP(CHPh)3]. The crystal structure of the monolithiated species as its TMEDA adduct has been determined. Treatment of the dilithiate species with [((η-C5Me5)MX2]2 (M=Cr, X=Br; M=Rh, X=Cl) provides [(η-C5Me5)M{η2-PhP(CH2Ph)(CHPh)2}X] containing chelating phosphoniodiylide ligands which are thought to be the hydrolysis products of the target complexes [{PhP(CHPh)3}M(C5Me5)].