Radical synthesis of trialkyl, triaryl, trisilyl and tristannyl phosphines from P₄

A reaction scheme has been devised according to 3 RX + 3 Ti(III) + 0.25 P₄ → PR₃ + 3 XTi(IV), wherein RX = PhBr, CyBr, Me₃SiI or Ph₃SnCl, with contrasting results in the case of more hindered RX. The scheme accomplishes the direct radical functionalization of white phosphorus without the intermediacy of PCl₃

Coordination isomerism in pentamethylcyclopentadienyl-substituted iminophosphanes: from classical structures to a π-complexed iminophosphenium ion

Novel iminophosphanes of the type (Me5C5)P=NR [R = C6H2tBu3 (5a), Si-i-Pr3 (5b), SiMe3 (5c)] are prepared via either thermolytic or base-promoted elimination reactions and characterized by analytical and spectroscopic methods. The x-ray crystal structures of 5a,b establish the presence of coordination isomerism of the cyclopentadienyl ring, which at the same time strongly alters the characteristics of the P-N multiple bond. For 5a, η1-attachment of the Me5C5 moiety to the phosphorus and a localized phosphorus-carbon σ-bond are found, and the P-N double bond compares to that of alkylated iminophosphanes (rPN = 155.1 (8) pm). 5b exhibits η2-coordination of the cyclopentadienyl ring leading to increased P-N triple-bond character, as evidenced by shortening of the P-N distance (153.3 (3) pm) and the remarkable opening of the nitrogen valence angle (153.3 (2)°). The structure is discussed as an intramolecular π-complex between a formal cyclopentadienyl anion and an iminophosphenium cation. The 1H and 13C NMR spectra show that rapid elementotropic rearrangements around the five-membered ring take place both in solution and in the solid state. The unique temperature dependence of δ31P in solution together with the considerable differences in δ 31P between the solution and solid states are interpreted in a model assuming a "haptotropic" mechanism for the fluxionality involving dynamic η1/η2-coordination isomerizations in solution. As expected, nucleophilic displacement of the Me5C5 moiety takes place in the reaction of 5b,c with LiC6H2tBu3, yielding the iminophosphanes tBu3H2C6P=NR (R = Si-i-Pr3 (8b), SiMe3 (c)) as products

Valence isomerization of 2-phospha-4-silabicyclo[1.1.0]butane: a high-level ab initio study

The rearrangements for 2-phospha-4-silabicyclo[1.1.0]butane, analogous to the valence isomerization of the hydrocarbons bicyclobutane, 1,3-butadiene, and cyclobutene, were studied at the (U)QCISD(T)/6-311+G**//(U)QCISD/6-31G* level of theory. The monocyclic 1,2-dihydro-1,2-phosphasiletes are shown to be the thermodynamically preferred product, in contrast to the isomerization of the hydrocarbons, which favors the 1,3-butadiene structure. Furthermore, an unprecedented direct isomerization pathway to the 1,2-dihydro-1,2-phosphasiletes was identified. This pathway is competitive with the isomerization via the open-chain butadienes and becomes favorable when electron-donating substituents are present on silicon

Metallophospha-alkenes: a simple access and some reactivities involving the phosphorus atom

The synthesis and studies on the reactive behaviour of metallophospha-alkenes are reported

Geographic variation in breeding system and environment predicts melanin-based plumage ornamentation of male and female Kentish plovers

Sexual selection determines the elaboration of morphological and behavioural traits and thus drives the evolution of phenotypes. Sexual selection on males and females can differ between populations, especially when populations exhibit different breeding systems. A substantial body of literature describes how breeding systems shape ornamentation across species, with a strong emphasis on male ornamentation and female preference. However, whether breeding system predicts ornamentation within species and whether similar mechanisms as in males also shape the phenotype of females remains unclear. Here, we investigate how different breeding systems are associated with male and female ornamentation in five geographically distinct populations of Kentish plovers Charadrius alexandrinus. We predicted that polygamous populations would exhibit more elaborate ornaments and stronger sexual dimorphism than monogamous populations. By estimating the size and intensity of male (n = 162) and female (n = 174) melanin-based plumage ornaments, i.e. breast bands and ear coverts, we show that plumage ornamentation is predicted by breeding system in both sexes. A difference in especially male ornamentation between polygamous (darker and smaller ornaments) and monogamous (lighter and larger) populations causes the greatest sexual dimorphism to be associated with polygamy. The non-social environment, however, may also influence the degree of ornamentation, for instance through availability of food. We found that, in addition to breeding system, a key environmental parameter, rainfall, predicted a seasonal change of ornamentation in a sex-specific manner. Our results emphasise that to understand the phenotype of animals, it is important to consider both natural and sexual selection acting on both males and females

Identification of Shell Colour Pigments in Marine Snails Clanculus pharaonius and C. margaritarius (Trochoidea; Gastropoda)

This is an open access article, free of all copyright, and may be freely reproduced, distributed, transmitted, modified, built upon, or otherwise used by anyone for any lawful purpose. The work is made available under the Creative Commons CC0 public domain dedication. https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/ The attached file is the published version of the article