Novel trisphosphine ligand containing 1,3,5-triazine core, [2,4,6-C3N3{C6H4PPh2-p}3]: synthesis and transition metal chemistry.

The trisphosphine ligand with triazine core, 2,4,6-tris{4-(diphenylphosphino)phenyl}-1,3,5-triazine (2), was synthesized in moderate yield by reacting 2,4,6-tris(4-bromophenyl)-1,3,5-triazine with 3 equiv of KPPh2. The tris(phosphine) 2 undergoes facile oxidation to give trischalcogenides 2,4,6-C3N3{C6H4P(E)Ph2-p}3 (E = O, 3; S, 4; Se, 5) on treatment with aqueous H2O2, elemental sulfur, or selenium. The reaction between 2 and [AuCl(SMe2)] yielded a trinuclear complex, [(AuCl)3{2,4,6-C3N3(C6H4PPh2-p)3}] (6), which on further treatment with pyridyl ligands such as 2,2'-bipyridine (2,2'-bpy) and 1,10-phenanthroline (1,10-phen) produced the mixed-ligand complexes [{Au(2,2'-bpy)}3{2,4,6-C3N3(C6H4PPh2-p)3}](OTf)3 (7) and [{Au(1,10-phen)}3{2,4,6-C3N3(C6H4PPh2-p)3}](OTf)3 (8), where OTf indicates trifluoromethansulfonate. Several trimetallic complexes such as [{Ru(η(6)-cymene)Cl2}3{2,4,6-C3N3(C6H4PPh2-p)3}] (9), [{Pd(η(3)-C3H5)Cl}3{2,4,6-C3N3(C6H4PPh2-p)3}] (10), [{Rh(COD)Cl}3{2,4,6-C3N3(C6H4PPh2-p)3}] (11) and [{Ir(COD)Cl}3{2,4,6-C3N3(C6H4PPh2-p)3}] (12) have also been synthesized and characterized. The reactions of 2 with [M(COD)Cl2] and CuI afforded metallo-cyclophane type complexes, [(MCl2)3L2] (M = Pd; 13, Pt; 14) (L = 2,4,6-tris{4-(diphenylphosphino)phenyl}-1,3,5-triazine) and [(CuI)3L2] (15), in good yield.