Multicomponent Synthesis of Poly(α-aminophosphine chalcogenide)s and Subsequent Depolymerization.

Multicomponent reactions of primary phosphines (R-PH 2 ), diimines (R'-N═C(H)-R-(H)C═N-R'), and chalcogens (O 2 , S 8 ) generate poly(α-aminophosphine chalcogenide)s ( 4 - 7 ) through step-growth polymerization. Characterization of the linear polymers using 31 P{ 1 H} diffusion-ordered NMR spectroscopy (DOSY) experiments aided in determining the molecular weight ( M w ) of the material. Subjecting the polyphosphine oxide or sulfide to reducing conditions in the presence of a Lewis acid resulted in complete depolymerization of the polymers, quantitatively releasing the 1° phosphine and diimine ( 2 ) starting materials, with concomitant reduction of diimine to diamine ( 9 ).