A new route to achiral and chiral 1,2-bis(phosphino)ethanes, 1-arsino-2-phosphinoethanes, and 1,3-bis(phosphino)propanes and the molecular structure and catalytic activity of some rhodium(i) complexes derived thereof Dedicated to Professor Wolfdieter A. Schenk, a respected colleague and creative scientist, on the occasion of his 60th birthday.
A one-pot reaction affords unsymmetrical 1,2-bis(phosphanyl)ethanes 2 and 1,2-arsanyl(phosphanyl)ethanes 3 from the cyclic sulfate 1 in high yield. Similarly, chiral 1,2-bis(phosphanyl)ethanes and 1,3-bis(phosphanyl)propanes could be obtained in enantiomerically pure form. R, R'=alkyl, phenyl.