Diastereomerically enriched analogues of the water-soluble phosphine PTA. Synthesis of phenyl(1,3,5-triaza-7-phosphatricyclo[3.3.1.1(3,7)]dec-6-yl)methanol (PZA) and the sulfide PZA(S) and X-ray crystal structures of the oxide PZA(O) and [Cp*IrCl(2)(PZA)].

A diastereomerically enriched analogue of 1,3,5-triaza-7-phosphaadamantane (PTA) was obtained by the reaction of PTA lithium salt with benzaldehyde to give the water-soluble derivative phenyl(1,3,5-triaza-7-phosphatricyclo[3.3.1.13,7]dec-6-yl)methanol (PZA, 1) as a mixture of two diastereoisomers. PZA derivatives phenyl(1,3,5-triaza-7-phospha-tricyclo[3.3.1.13,7]dec-6-yl)methanol sulfide [PZA(S), 2] and oxide [PZA(O), 3] were also synthesized. The latter was isolated in the solid state, and the X-ray crystal structure of a single diastereoisomer was obtained. Compound 1 was used as a k1-P monodentate ligand toward iridium(III) moieties, and the piano-stool complex [Cp*IrCl2(PZA)] (4) was obtained as a mixture of diastereoisomers both in solution and in the solid state.