Phosphorus-Boron-Based Polymers Obtained by Dehydrocoupling of Ferrocenylphosphine-Borane Adducts.

Dehydrocoupling of the ferrocenylphosphine-borane adducts [FcPH2(BH3)] ( 1) [Fc = Fe(C5H5)(C5H4)] and [FcCH2PH2(BH3)] ( 2) with [{Rh(μ-Cl)(cod)}2] (cod = 1,5-cyclooctadiene) as catalyst gave the corresponding phosphorus-boron-based polymers [FcPH(BH2)] n ( 3) and [FcCH2PH(BH2)] n ( 4) as low- (heating in toluene, 3low and 4low) or high-molecular-weight (heating without solvent, 3high or 4high) poly(ferrocenylphosphinoborane)s depending on the reaction conditions. Dehydrocoupling of a racemic mixture of [2- N, N-dimethyl( N-borane)aminomethyl-1-ferrocenyl]phosphine-borane ( 6) resulted in several products, as both BH3 moieties are apparently involved in polymer formation. Quaternization of the amino group in planar-chiral [Fe(C5H5){C5H3(CH2NMe2)PH2}] ( 5) with MeI and treatment of the corresponding ammonium salt [Fe(C5H5){C5H3(CH2NMe3)PH2}]I ( 8) with BH3(THF) gave [Fe(C5H5){C5H3(CH2NMe3)PH2(BH3)}]I ( 9), which proved to be a suitable precursor for selective dehydrocoupling to yield an ionic polymer, namely, {[Fe(C5H5){C5H3(CH2NMe3)PH(BH2)}]I} n. The ferrocenylphosphine-borane adducts 1, 2, and 6 were characterized by 31P, 11B, 1H, and 13C NMR spectroscopy, and the polymers were characterized by multinuclear NMR and IR spectroscopy, gel permeation chromatography (GPC), and thermal analysis [differential thermal analysis (DTA)/thermogravimetry (TG)]. The ionic precursor 9 and the resulting polymer are highly insoluble and were characterized by solid-state 31P NMR spectroscopy, IR spectroscopy, and thermal analysis. Molecular structures of 1, 6, 8, and 9 were determined by X-ray crystallography. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]