1,3-Bis(diphenylphosphino)propane (dppp) is an

organophosphorus compound Organophosphorus chemistry is the scientific study of the synthesis and properties of organophosphorus compounds, which are organic compounds containing phosphorus. They are used primarily in pest control as an alternative to chlorinated hydrocarbo ...

with the formula PhP(CH)PPh. The compound is a white solid that is soluble in organic solvents. It is slightly

air-sensitive Air sensitivity is a term used, particularly in chemistry, to denote the reactivity of chemical compounds with some constituent of air. Most often, reactions occur with atmospheric oxygen (O2) or water vapor (H2O), although reactions with the other ...

, degrading in air to the

phosphine oxide Phosphine oxide is the inorganic compound with the formula H3PO. Although stable as a dilute gas, liquid or solid samples are unstable. Unlike many other compounds of the type POxHy, H3PO is rarely discussed and is not even mentioned in major so ...

. It is classified as a diphosphine ligand in

coordination chemistry A coordination complex is a chemical compound consisting of a central atom or ion, which is usually metallic and is called the ''coordination centre'', and a surrounding array of chemical bond, bound molecules or ions, that are in turn known as ' ...

and

homogeneous catalysis In chemistry, homogeneous catalysis is catalysis where the catalyst is in same phase as reactants, principally by a soluble catalyst in a solution. In contrast, heterogeneous catalysis describes processes where the catalysts and substrate are in d ...

. The diphosphine can be prepared by the reaction of lithium diphenylphosphide and 1,3-dichloropropane (Ph = CH): : 2 PhPLi + Cl(CH)Cl → PhP(CH)PPh + 2 LiCl However, it can be synthesised via a much more controllable (and cheaper) route, via metal-halogen exchange and then metathesis: :Br(CH)Br + 2 BuLi → Li(CH)Li + 2 BuBr :Li(CH)Li + 2 PCl → ClP(CH)PCl + 2 LiCl :ClP(CH)PCl + 4 PhLi → PhP(CH)PPh + 4 LiCl

Coordination chemistry and use as co-catalyst

The diphosphine serves as a bidentate ligand forming six-membered CPM chelate ring with a natural

bite angle In coordination chemistry, the bite angle is the angle on a central atom between two bonds to a bidentate ligand. This ligand–metal–ligand geometric parameter is used to classify chelation, chelating ligands, including those in organometallic ...

of 91°. For example, the complex dichloro(1,3-bis(diphenylphosphino)propane)nickel is prepared by combining equimolar portions of the ligand and

nickel(II) chloride Nickel(II) chloride (or just nickel chloride) is the chemical compound NiCl2. The anhydrous salt is yellow, but the more familiar hydrate NiCl2·6H2O is green. Nickel(II) chloride, in various forms, is the most important source of nickel for che ...

hexahydrate. This nickel complex serves as a catalyst for the

Kumada coupling In organic chemistry, the Kumada coupling is a type of cross coupling reaction, useful for generating carbon–carbon bonds by the reaction of a Grignard reagent and an organic halide. The procedure uses transition metal catalysts, typically ...

reaction. Dppp is also used as a ligand for

palladium Palladium is a chemical element; it has symbol Pd and atomic number 46. It is a rare and lustrous silvery-white metal discovered in 1802 by the English chemist William Hyde Wollaston. He named it after the asteroid Pallas (formally 2 Pallas), ...

(II) catalysts to co-polymerize

carbon monoxide Carbon monoxide (chemical formula CO) is a poisonous, flammable gas that is colorless, odorless, tasteless, and slightly less dense than air. Carbon monoxide consists of one carbon atom and one oxygen atom connected by a triple bond. It is the si ...

and

ethylene Ethylene (IUPAC name: ethene) is a hydrocarbon which has the formula or . It is a colourless, flammable gas with a faint "sweet and musky" odour when pure. It is the simplest alkene (a hydrocarbon with carbon–carbon bond, carbon–carbon doub ...

to give

polyketone Polyketones are a family of high-performance thermoplastic polymers. The polar ketone groups in the polymer backbone of these materials gives rise to a strong attraction between polymer chains, which increases the material's melting point (255&nbs ...

s. Dppp can sometimes be used in palladium-catalyzed arylation under

Heck reaction The Heck reaction (also called the Mizoroki–Heck reaction) is the chemical reaction of an unsaturated halide (or triflate) with an alkene in the presence of a base and a palladium catalyst to form a substituted alkene. It is named after T ...

conditions to control regioselectivity.Cabri, Walter; Candiani, Ilaria; Bedeschi Angelo; Penco, Sergio"α-Regioselectivity in Palladium-Catalyzed Arylation of Acyclic Enol Ethers" journal= Journal of Organic Chemistry, 1991, volume 57, p. 1481.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bis(diphenylphosphino)propane, 1, 3- Diphosphines Phenyl compounds