New aspects in heteroatom chemistry: ambident anionic phosphinomethanides as building blocks in novel organometallic compounds

Phosphinomethanides bind to electrophiles via either phosphorus or carbon. The resulting compounds usually are unstable and/or can rearrange from carbon to phosphorus coordination or vice versa. Selective oxidative coupling reactions of the phosphinomethanide ligands are found with metal centers in high oxidation states, but these ligands are stable to reduction. Thus, low-valency species can be stabilized. In addition, diphosphinomethanides are useful ligands to promote high coordination numbers with main-group elements (mulehypervalent compoundsmule), transition or lanthanoid metals.