Diphenylphosphine

Chemical properties

Diphenylphosphine is an organophosphorus compound commonly used in laboratories. It is a clear colorless to slightly yellow liquid with unpleasant odor, irritating, easily oxidized in air and spontaneously combusts, sensitive to air and light, and needs to be protected by nitrogen. It can be used as a precursor for the synthesis of a variety of organophosphine ligands. These ligands, in turn, are used in homogeneous catalysis for many applications including: asymmetric hydrogenation, coupling chemistry, ethylene oligomerization, hydroformylation, hydration of nitriles, and polymerization of alkenes.

The Uses of Diphenylphosphine

Diphenylphosphine is used in the synthesis of aminophosphines for application as catalysts. It is also used in the preparation of chiral palladacycles with N-heterocyclic carbene ligands as catalysts.

The Uses of Diphenylphosphine

suzuki reaction

The Uses of Diphenylphosphine

Diphenylphosphine acts as an intermediate in the preparation of diphenylphosphide derivatives, phosphonium salts, phosphine ligands and Wittig-Horner reagents. The presence of hydrogen atom bonded to phosphorus undergoes Michael-like addition to activated alkenes. It is involved in the preparation of 1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane and (phenyl-(phenylmethyl)phosphoryl)benzene. Further, it is used in the synthesis of aminophosphines and chiral palladacycles with N-heterocyclic carbene ligands as catalysts.

Preparation

Diphenylphosphine can be prepared from triphenylphosphine by reduction to lithium diphenylphosphide, which can be protonated to give the title compound:
PPh3 + 2 Li → LiPPh2 + LiPh
LiPPh2 + H2O → Ph2PH + LiOH