Synthesis of P2C2O2 and P2CO via NHC-mediated coupling of the phosphaethynolate anion.

The reaction of the chloroimidazolium chloride salt, [NHC-Cl][Cl], NHC = C{N(2,6-iPr2C6H3)CH}2 (1) with two equivalents of sodium phosphaethynolate, Na[OCP]·(dioxane)2.5, results in the formation of NHC-{cyclo-(CO)-P2-C(O)} (2) and NHC-P2-C(O)-NHC (3). Notably, in the presence of free NHC ligand, compound 2 converts to compound 3via extrusion of CO at elevated temperatures. The nature of the bonding in these complexes was probed computationally and spectroscopically.