Dialkylammonium tert-Butylmethylphosphinites: Stable Intermediates for the Synthesis of P-Stereogenic Ligands.

The preparation of shelf-stable crystalline salts of tert-butylmethylphosphinous acid borane 1 is described. X-ray analysis of diisopropylammonium tert-butylmethylphosphinite borane 6 revealed the presence of a cyclic hydrogen-bond network in the solid state which accounts for an increased melting point and stability. Dialkylammonium phosphinite boranes are convenient precursors of the chiral tert-butylmethylphosphine fragment. Compound 6 can be used directly in SN2@P reactions with various nucleophiles to yield valuable P-stereogenic intermediates and ligands.