Diphosphination of CO2 and CS2 mediated by frustrated Lewis pairs - catalytic route to phosphanyl derivatives of formic and dithioformic acid.

The first example of CO2 diphosphination is described. Reactions of unsymmetrical diphosphanes with CE2 (E = O, S) catalyzed by BPh3 insert a CE2 molecule into the P-P bond with formation of the products of the general formula R2P-E-C([double bond, length as m-dash]E)-PR2. The obtained CO2 adducts arise from synergistic interaction of diphosphane and borane with CO2 molecule.