THE CLEAVAGE OF P-C BONDS IN DIPHOSPHINES BY LITHIUM: THE CRYSTAL STRUCTURE OF 2(OC4H8)8>

Article abstract of DOI:10.1016/0022-328X(87)87135-8

Reaction of alkane-1,n-diylbisdiphenylphosphines with lithium in tetrahydrofuran gives only the diphosphides resulting from cleavage of a phosphorus-aryl bond at each end of the chain; the course of the reaction is independent of chain length.The X-ray structure of the ethane diphosphide is presented and a possible mechanism discussed.