Cycloarsanes (AsCF3)n (n = 4, 5) – Precursors for the Highly Reactive Diarsene F3CAs=AsCF3

Tetrakis(trifluoromethyl) cyclotetraarsane (F3CAs)4 (2) was used to repeat the UV initiated [4+2]‐cycloaddition reaction of the diarsene F3CAs=AsCF3 (1) with cyclohexa‐1,3‐diene (CHD) and to isolate single crystals of the cycloadduct 4 for a X‐ray diffraction analysis. 4 crystallizes in the space group P 1 and contains the diarsene group in its E‐configuration. 2 was also applied for [2+2]‐cycloaddition reactions of 1 with tBuC≡P and MeC≡CNiPr2, but in contrast to positive results with (F3CP)4 the products were too labile for isolation. However, 2 was successfully used at room temperature as precursor for coordinating 1 as π‐donor ligand to the Pd(PPh3)2 complex fragment yielding η2‐bis(trifluoromethyl)diarsene‐bis(triphenylphosphane)‐palladium(0) 5, which was characterized by X‐ray diffraction of single crystals and by spectroscopic investigations (NMR, IR, MS). Attempts to prove the existence of the diarsene 1, generated by different methods, by spectroscopic studies very probably failed due to its extreme reactivity, not allowing the necessary concentrations for detection. Quantum chemical calculations of the stability of 1 with respect to dimerization, the stability of the [2+2]‐cycloadduct with 1‐di(isopropyl)aminopropyne and the energy difference between 4 and the 2,3‐dimethyl‐1,3‐butadiene cycloadduct of 1 were performed to understand the considerable differences between 1 and the related diphosphene F3CP=PCF3.