Fusing triphenylphosphine with tetraphenylborate: introducing the 9-phosphatriptycene-10-phenylborate (PTB) anion

Abstract

In a fusion of two ubiquitous organometallic reagents, triphenylphosphine (PPh₃) and tetraphenylborate (BPh₄⁻), the 9-phosphatriptycene-10-phenylborate (PTB) anion has been prepared for the first time. This borato species has been fully characterized by a suite of spectroscopic methods, and initial reactivity studies introduce it as a competent ligand for transition metals, including Co(II) and Fe(II).