N.K. Gusarova et al. / Journal of Organometallic Chemistry 745-746 (2013) 126e132
127
ions is won by the former, i.e. the most part of ionic current be-
longs to phosphorus-containing ions.
AIBN, 63-68 o
THF
C
S
S
Decomposition of molecular ion of phosphine sulfide 1 proceeds
via three competitive directions involving the cleavage of CeP and
CeTe bonds and formation of [M ꢁ C2H3]þ with m/z 375,
[M ꢁ C2H3Te]þ with m/z 245 and [Ph2PS]þ with m/z 217 (Scheme 3).
The most intensive peak is attributed to [Ph2PS]þ ion. Further
decomposition of the formed ions obeys the known regularities
established for phosphine sulfides bearing aromatic substituents [7].
It should be noted that during the fragmentation of compound
1, sulfur atom remains intact both in molecular ion and
main fragment ions. However, it is a common knowledge that
phosphine sulfides are characterized by elimination of sulfur
atom from Mþ [7e10]. Nevertheless, in the case of phosphine
sulfide 1, elimination of sulfur atom or sulfur-containing particles
is observed only at deeper stages of the primary ions
decomposition.
To estimate the effect of tellurium atom on character of mo-
lecular ion decomposition of adduct 1, we have analyzed the frag-
mentation data obtained for diphenylvinylphosphine sulfide 3 and
its oxygen analog 4. Unlike tellurium-containing phosphine sulfide
1, in the mass spectrum of phosphine sulfide 3, the peak of mo-
lecular ion with m/z 244 possesses the highest intensity. Interest-
ingly, the character of fragmentation of the latter coincides with
decomposition of oxygen analog 4 [9]. Besides, the mass spectrum
of phosphine sulfide 3 expectedly contains peaks of [M ꢁ S]þ. with
m/z 212 (9%) and [M ꢁ HS]þ with m/z 211(10%) ions, which are
typical for nonfunctional triorganylphosphine sulfides [7e10],
while in the mass spectrum of phosphine oxide 4, peaks of
[M ꢁ P]þ and [M ꢁ HP]þ ions are absent.
P
+
+
P
Te
H
Te
1
S
S
+
P
P
Te
2
Scheme 1. The reaction of divinyl telluride with diphenylphosphine sulfide.
Monoadduct 1 (67% yield) remained in ether solution. It turned out
that unlike diadduct 2, which was stable on long storage under
usual conditions, monoadduct 1 easily decomposed at room tem-
perature to afford diphenylvinylphosphine sulfide 3 (63% yield) and
metal tellurium. Besides, ethylene was also released (it was iden-
tified by qualitative reaction with potassium permanganate)
(Scheme 2).
It should be noted that the morphology of metal tellurium,
released during the decomposition of monoadduct 1 (Scheme 2),
significantly differs from that of usual brand tellurium. For example,
according to scanning electron microscopy (SEM), the synthesized
metal tellurium represents mainly nano-sized powder consisting of
agglomerates with average size of 350e450 nm (Fig. 1a), whereas
brand tellurium comprises microcrystals of irregular form having
rather big sizes (4e36 mm) (Fig. 1b).
The structure of tertiary phosphine sulfides 1e3 synthesized has
been confirmed by the data NMR and MS spectroscopy. One should
emphasize that GSeMS study of these compounds may be of spe-
cial interest since the results obtained are nontrivial and can
essentially complement the known data related to behavior of
tertiary phosphine sulfides in the conditions of electron and
chemical ionization.
The analysis of electron ionization (EI) and chemical ionization
positive ion (CI) mass spectra of functional tellurium-containing
phosphine sulfides 1, 2 has been carried out in comparison with
the data of similar spectra of vinyldiphenylphosphine sulfide 3 and
its heteroanalogue, vinyldiphenylphosphine oxide 4.
Thus, the comparative analysis of EI mass spectra of compounds
1 and 3 testifies that the presence of tellurium atom in monoadduct
1 reduces stability of its molecular ion and hinders the elimination
of sulfur atom.
Unlike monoadduct 1, under EI diadduct 2 forms unstable mo-
lecular ion, the latter being decomposed at the moment of ioniza-
tion. The mass spectrum of diadduct 2 contains peaks of three
series of ions. The minor series of ions is generated via elimination
of Ph2PH molecule by the molecular ion to afford the ion with m/z
434, which further decomposes to consecutively release radicals
C2H3Te and HS or radical SPh (Scheme 4).
High intensity of the ion with m/z 244 (57%) is likely due to
partial thermal decomposition of diadduct 2 in the input system.
Two main series of ions are owing to two odd-electron frag-
ments with m/z 402 and m/z 218 formed by diadduct 2 molecular
ion (Scheme 5). The fragment with m/z 402 contains Te atom, and
character of its fragmentation (main ions with m/z 375, 245, 217,
183, 185, 139) completely corresponds to the decomposition of
monoadduct 1 described above in detail (Scheme 3).
The fragmentation pattern of other ion with m/z 218 (main ions
with m/z 185, 183, 152, 140, 109, 108, 107, 63) coincides with frag-
mentation of the initial diphenylphosphine sulfide (Scheme 6).
The study of CI mass spectrum has shown that diphenyl[2-
(vinyltellanyl)ethyl]phosphine sulfide 1 is easily protonated in a gas
phase, and the cluster of peaks of the protonated molecular ion has
the maximum intensity [ON]þ (ITIC ¼ 30%).
The EI mass spectrum of phosphine sulfide 1 shows a charac-
teristic cluster of isotopic peaks of molecular ion with m/z 402 (for
130Tf), the intensity of which is 5% from total ionic current.
The competition between the processes related to charge
localization on phosphorus-containing or tellurium-containing
In the CI mass spectrum of monoadduct 1, peaks of two series of
ions are present. This indicates that ionization of tellurium-
containing phosphine sulfide 1 proceeds via two different routes.
A minor series of ions is caused by the CeP and CeTe bonds
cleavage and is similar to those ions which are observed during EI
(ions with m/z 245, m/z 217, Scheme 3). Generation of these ions can
take place both at decomposition of the protonated molecular ion
and as a result of ionization according to the mechanism of anion
elimination (Scheme 7).
Scheme 2. Decomposition of diphenyl[2-(vinyltellanyl)ethyl]phosphine sulfide 1.