Reactions of bis(thiophosphoryl)disulfanes and bis(thiophosphinyl)disulfanes with metal species: an alternative, convenient route to metal complex and organometallic dithiophosphates and dithiophosphinates

Abstract

The reactions of bis(thiophosphoryl)disulfanes, and bis(thiophosphinyl)disulfanes, X 2P(S)SSP(S)X 2 (X=R, OR; R=alkyl, aryl) with metals and low valent state metal compounds are reviewed. Four types of reactions of the disulfanes are possible: (a) adduct formation with ring closure through chelation (rare); (b) metal insertion, involving homolytic clevage of the SS bond and oxidative addition of the metal species (typical for active metals and low valent metal species); (c) redistribution between MM and SS bonds, involving homolytic cleavage of both SS and MM bonds and oxidation of the metal with the formation of MS bonds; (d) addition of the (S)PSSP(S) moieties to metal–metal multiple bonds.