Preparation, physical properties and reactions of copper(I)-triphenyl-m complexes (M= P, As, Sb)

General methods of preparation, chemical reactions and some physical properties of triphenylphosphine, arsine, and stibine-copper(I) complexes have been studied. The most general methods of preparation involve the reduction of copper(II) salts with triphenylphosphine or the direct reaction of this ligand with copper(I) salts. Displacement reactions on P3CuCl or [PCuCl]4 (P=triphenylphosphine) by charged or uncharged ligands have been employed to prepare compounds such as: P2CuSC6H5, P2CuOC6H5, PCuC5H5, PCuC≡CC6H5, PCuCl·pyr., PCuN3·pyr., P3CuB - (C6H5)4, etc. P3CuCl adds polar molecules to yield P3CuCl · X (X=2 CHCl3, 1 CS2, 2 DMF, etc.). These complexes do not add carbon monoxide, olefins or acetylenes to yield stable compounds. P2CuN3 in excess P decomposes smoothly to yield [P=N-Cu]n (250°). A study of the solution molecular weights suggests that many of the these complexes have three coordinated copper(I). This coordination number of copper appears to be of appreciable stability.