Theoretical and Experimental Investigation of the Basicity of Phosphino(silyl)carbenes
作者:David Martin、Ona Illa、Antoine Baceiredo、Guy Bertrand、Rosa M. Ortuño、Vicenç Branchadell
DOI:10.1021/jo0508447
日期:2005.7.1
The reactivity of phosphino(trimethylsilyl)carbenes 1 with several organic acids has been examined in order to evaluate the pK(a) values of the conjugate acids. Carbenes 1 react efficiently with C-organic acids such as 1,3-dimesitylimidazolium chloride, phenylacetylene, acetonitrile, and acetyltrimethylsilane, which have pK(a)'s in DMSO in the range 18-31. However, the reaction of the conjugate acids 1H(+) with the anion perturbs the determination of the genuine basicity of 1. Theoretical calculations have been performed in order to quantify the basicity of phosphino(trimethylsilyl)carbenes 1 and to compare them with that of N-heterocyclic carbenes 2. The pKa of 1H(+) in DMSO has been computed to be in the 23.0-23.4 range, so that 1 is not strong enough as a base to spontaneously deprotonate organic acids such as phenylacetylene, acetonitrile, or acetyltrimethylsilane. However, its conjugate acid 1H(+) is a strong electrophile and easily reacts with the nucleophilic conjugate bases of these acids leading to the formation of the corresponding phosphorus ylides.