Preparation, physical properties and reactions of copper(I)-triphenyl-m complexes (M= P, As, Sb)

Abstract

General methods of preparation, chemical reactions and some physical properties of triphenylphosphine, arsine, and stibine-copper(I) complexes have been studied. The most general methods of preparation involve the reduction of copper(II) salts with triphenylphosphine or the direct reaction of this ligand with copper(I) salts. Displacement reactions on P 3CuCl or [PCuCl] 4 (P=triphenylphosphine) by charged or uncharged ligands have been employed to prepare compounds such as: P 2CuSC 6H 5, P 2CuOC 6H 5, PCuC 5H 5, PCuC≡CC 6H 5, PCuCl·pyr., PCuN 3·pyr., P 3CuB - (C 6H 5) 4, etc. P 3CuCl adds polar molecules to yield P 3CuCl · X (X=2 CHCl 3, 1 CS 2, 2 DMF, etc.). These complexes do not add carbon monoxide, olefins or acetylenes to yield stable compounds. P 2CuN 3 in excess P decomposes smoothly to yield [P=N-Cu] n (250°). A study of the solution molecular weights suggests that many of the these complexes have three coordinated copper(I). This coordination number of copper appears to be of appreciable stability.