ChemInform Abstract: The Preparation and Crystal and Molecular Structures of Trichlorobis(methyldiphenylphosphine)vanadium(III) and Its Acetonitrile Adduct

Abstract

The complex [VCl3(PPh2Me)2] has been prepared from [VCl3(MeCN)3] or [VCl3(thf)3](thf = tetrahydrofuran) and the tertiary phosphine in toluene. In the crystal there are two independent trigonal-bipyramidal molecules with axial phosphine ligands. There is considerable distortion from regular co-ordination polyhedra and mean bond distances are V–Cl, 2.22 and 2.23 A and V–P, 2.54 and 2.53 A. On long reflux of a solution of [VCl3(MeCN)3] and PPh2Me in toluene, the complex [VCl3(MeCN)(PPh2Me)2] is obtained. It contains six-co-ordinate vanadium(III) with meridional V–Cl bonds of average length 2.30 A. Other bond distances are V–N, 2.140(3)A and V–P, 2.56 A(av.).