Thorium Metallacycle Facilitates Catalytic Alkyne Hydrophosphination.
Mary E GarnerBernard F ParkerStephan HohlochRobert G BergmanJohn ArnoldPublished in: Journal of the American Chemical Society (2017)
The bis(NHC)borate-supported thorium-bis(mesitylphosphido) complex (1) undergoes reversible intramolecular C-H bond activation enabling the catalytic hydrophosphination of unactivated internal alkynes. Catalytic and stoichiometric experiments support a mechanism involving reactive Th-NHC metallacycle intermediates (Int and 2).