One-step methylation of aromatic phosphorus heterocycles: synthesis and crystallographic characterization of a 1-methyl-phosphininium salt.

For the first time, the direct synthesis of 1-methyl-phosphininium salts has been achieved by reacting aromatic λ3,σ2-phosphinines with the readily available dimethyl chloronium salt [(CH3)2Cl]+[Al(OTeF5)4]-. The remarkably high electrophilicity of the alkylation reagent in combination with the weakly coordinating pentafluoro-orthotelluratoaluminate anion offers excellent conditions for this one-step approach. Our simple and quantitative access to 1-methyl-phosphininium salts will pave the way to explore the chemistry of such reactive species in more detail.