Coordination chemistry of trimethylsilylphosphaalkyne: a phosphaalkyne bearing a reactive substituent

Trimethylsilylphosphaalkyne binds readily to a variety of transition metals. Binding can take place using either the end-on or side-on mode and to either mononuclear or multinuclear metal complexes. The synthesis, structure and characterisation of eight such complexes, [Cp(2)Zr(PMe(3))(Me(3)SiC≡P)], [(C(6)F(5))(2)FB(C(6)F(4))PCSiMe(3))ZrCp(2)(PMe(3))], [(C(6)F(5))(2)XB(C(6)F(4))(ZrCp(2))(2)P(2)(CSiMe(3))(2)] (X = F/H), [(Me(3)Si-C≡P)(2)Mo(dppe)(2)], [CpMo(CO)(2)PC(SiMe(3))Mo(CO)(2)Cp], [(Ph(3)P)(2)Pt(Me(3)SiC≡P)], [{(dppe)Pd}(2)(Me(3)SiC≡P)] and [Pd(5)(PPh(3))(5)(Me(3)SiC≡P)(3)] are described together with attempts to desilylate some of these complexes.