HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Triphenylphosphine oxide (often abbreviated TPPO) is the
organophosphorus compound Organophosphorus compounds are organic compounds containing phosphorus. They are used primarily in pest control as an alternative to chlorinated hydrocarbons that persist in the environment. Some organophosphorus compounds are highly effective in ...
with the formula OP(C6H5)3, also written as Ph3PO or PPh3O (Ph = C6H5). This colourless crystalline compound is a common but potentially useful waste product in reactions involving
triphenylphosphine Triphenylphosphine (IUPAC name: triphenylphosphane) is a common organophosphorus compound with the formula P(C6H5)3 and often abbreviated to P Ph3 or Ph3P. It is widely used in the synthesis of organic and organometallic compounds. PPh3 exists a ...
. It is a popular reagent to induce the crystallizing of chemical compounds.


Structure and properties

Ph3PO is a tetrahedral molecule related to POCl3. The oxygen center is relatively basic. The rigidity of the backbone and the basicity of the oxygen center make this species a popular agent to crystallize otherwise difficult to crystallize molecules. This trick is applicable to molecules that have acidic hydrogen atoms, e.g.
phenol Phenol (also called carbolic acid) is an aromatic organic compound with the molecular formula . It is a white crystalline solid that is volatile. The molecule consists of a phenyl group () bonded to a hydroxy group (). Mildly acidic, it req ...
s. Up to now, several modifications of Ph3PO have been found: For example, a monoclinic form crystalizes in the space group ''P''21/''c'' with Z = 4 and a = 15.066(1) Å, b = 9.037(2) Å, c = 11.296(3) Å, and β = 98.47(1)°. The orthorhombic modification crystallizes in the space group ''Pbca'' with Z = 4 and 29.089(3) Å, b = 9.1347(9), c = 11.261(1) Å. TPPO's unique application as a heat-diffuser in many electronic devices is used by law enforcement to train electronics-sniffing dogs.


As a byproduct of organic synthesis

Ph3PO is a byproduct of many useful reactions in
organic synthesis Organic synthesis is a special branch of chemical synthesis and is concerned with the intentional construction of organic compounds. Organic molecules are often more complex than inorganic compounds, and their synthesis has developed into one o ...
including the
Wittig Wittig is a surname, and may refer to: * Burghardt Wittig (born 1947), German biochemist * Curt Wittig, American chemist * David Wittig (born 1955), American executive * Edward Wittig (1879–1941), Polish sculptor * Ferdinand Wittig (1851-1909 ...
, Staudinger, and
Mitsunobu reaction The Mitsunobu reaction is an organic reaction that converts an alcohol into a variety of functional groups, such as an ester, using triphenylphosphine and an azodicarboxylate such as diethyl azodicarboxylate (DEAD) or diisopropyl azodicarboxylat ...
s. It is also formed when PPh3Cl2 is employed to convert
alcohol Alcohol most commonly refers to: * Alcohol (chemistry), an organic compound in which a hydroxyl group is bound to a carbon atom * Alcohol (drug), an intoxicant found in alcoholic drinks Alcohol may also refer to: Chemicals * Ethanol, one of sev ...
s into alkyl chlorides: :Ph3PCl2 + ROH → Ph3PO + HCl + RCl Triphenylphosphine can be regenerated from the oxide by treatment with a variety of deoxygenation agents, such as
phosgene Phosgene is the organic chemical compound with the formula COCl2. It is a toxic, colorless gas; in low concentrations, its musty odor resembles that of freshly cut hay or grass. Phosgene is a valued and important industrial building block, espe ...
or
trichlorosilane Trichlorosilane is an inorganic compound with the formula HCl3Si. It is a colourless, volatile liquid. Purified trichlorosilane is the principal precursor to ultrapure silicon in the semiconductor industry. In water, it rapidly decomposes to pr ...
/triethylamine: :Ph3PO + SiHCl3 → PPh3 + 1/n (OSiCl2)n + HCl Triphenylphosphine oxide can be difficult to remove from reaction mixtures by means of chromatography. It is poorly soluble in
hexane Hexane () is an organic compound, a straight-chain alkane with six carbon atoms and has the molecular formula C6H14. It is a colorless liquid, odorless when pure, and with boiling points approximately . It is widely used as a cheap, relatively ...
and cold
diethyl ether Diethyl ether, or simply ether, is an organic compound in the ether class with the formula , sometimes abbreviated as (see Pseudoelement symbols). It is a colourless, highly volatile, sweet-smelling ("ethereal odour"), extremely flammable liq ...
. Trituration or chromatography of crude products with these solvents often leads to a good separation of triphenylphosphine oxide. Its removal is facilitated by conversion to its Mg(II) complex, which is poorly soluble in toluene or dichloromethane and can be filtered off. An alternative filtration method where ZnCl2(TPPO)2 is formed upon addition of ZnCl2 may be used with more polar solvents such as ethanol, ethyl acetate and tetrahydrofuran.


Coordination chemistry

Ph3PO is a ligand for "
hard Hard may refer to: * Hardness, resistance of physical materials to deformation or fracture * Hard water, water with high mineral content Arts and entertainment * ''Hard'' (TV series), a French TV series * Hard (band), a Hungarian hard rock supe ...
" metal centers. A representative complex is the tetrahedral species NiCl2(OPPh3)2. Ph3PO is a common impurity in PPh3. The oxidation of PPh3 by oxygen, including air, is catalyzed by many metal ions: :2 PPh3 + O2 → 2 Ph3PO


References

{{Transient receptor potential channel modulators Organophosphine oxides Phenyl compounds