Towards the stability limit of cyclic diphosphonium bis-ylides

A typology of molecules containing two phosphonium ylide groups (bis-ylides) is proposed, versus the bridge length (fused, ω- and α-bisylides) and their relative topographical orientations (head-to-head, tail-to-tail or head-to-tail). The formal electrostatic constraint occurring in the head-to-head series is systematically addressed for cyclic representatives based on the o-bis(diphenylphosphonio)benzene framework. After a survey of previously reported results in the fused and β-bis-ylide series, emphasis is given to the cyclic α-bis-ylides. The non-substituted, non-stabilized version escaped isolation through spontaneous fragmentation to bis(diphenylphosphino)benzene and acetylene. Inspired by this result, the reverse process was employed for the generation of stabilized representatives with ethoxycarbonyl and benzoyl substituents at the ylidic carbon atoms. The stability and stereochemistry of the obtained head-to-head α-bis-ylides was investigated by NMR techniques and reproduced and analyzed by DFT calculations. The role of electrostatics in determining structural and reactivity features of cyclically constrained species is here illustrated.