Electrochemical Reduction of Trivalent Organophosphorus Compounds: Mechanism and Products from Phosphorus-Heteroatom Bond Cleavage

摘要

The cathodic cleavage at platinum electrondes of phosphorus-heteroatom bonds in fluoro-, chloro-, bromodiphenylphosphine and in phenyldiphenylphosphinite in dry acetonitrile solution has been accomplished with the formation of tetraphenyldiphosphine as the exclusive product. A mechanism which involves the intermediacy of diphenylphosphinyl anions is suggested based on cyclic voltammetry and controlled potential coulometry studies.