The first example of CO2 diphosphination is described. Reactions of unsymmetrical diphosphanes with CE2 (E = O, S) catalyzed by BPh3 insert a CE2 molecule into the P-P bond with formation of the products of the general formula R2P-E-C(=E)-PR2. The obtained CO2 adducts arise from synergistic interaction of diphosphane and borane with CO2 molecule.

Herein, we report access to phosphinoborinium cations via heterolytic cleavage of the boron-bromide bond in bromophosphinoborane. The product of the reaction was isolated as a dimeric dication possessing a planar P2B2 core. Activation of C-H and C-P bonds in the dication led to formation of the borinium-phosphaborene adduct. Reactivity studies revealed that title cation exhibits ambiphilic properties and intramolecular frustrated...

The monomeric diaminophosphinoboranes readily react with CO2 under mild conditions to cleanly form products of the general formula R2P-C(=O)-O-B(NR2)2 in the absence of a catalyst. The isolated products from the CO2-phosphinoboration were fully characterized by NMR spectroscopy, IR spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction. The mechanism of CO2 phosphinoboration with diaminophosphinoboranes was elucidated by DFT calculations.