Electrophilic terminal phosphinidene complex-Lewis base adducts: chemistry between carbon-halide bond activation and weak Lewis base adduct formation.

Comparative studies on the reactivity of a transiently formed terminal phosphinidene complex towards various organobromide derivatives show that carbon-bromine bond insertion is preferred with benzyl bromide, whereas formal HBr-insertion resulted with 2-bromopyridine and a surprising selectivity enhancement (of the phosphinidene complex) was observed with bromobenzene; all new products were established by elemental analyses, NMR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry and single crystal X-ray diffraction studies.