Activation of P4 and P2 by Transition Metal Complexes at Room Temperature

The first complex with P2 as an eight-electron donor diphosphinidene ligand is 1, which forms at room temperature from [Cp*(OC)2Re]2 and P4 (Cp*=C5Me5). The by-product of this reaction, which has a Re2P2 butterfly structure, reacts with [W(CO)5(thf)] at room temperature to give two multinuclear complexes—one with a ReWP2 tetrahedrane framework and 2, whose six atoms Re2P2W2 form a plane and in which the P2 ligand of the butterfly complex is converted into two µ-P ligands.