Synthesis and versatile reactivity of scandium phosphinophosphinidene complexes

Abstract M=E/M≡E multiple bonds (M = transition metal, E = main group element) are of significant fundamental scientific importance and have widespread applications. Expanding the ranges of M and E represents grand challenges for synthetic chemists and will bring new horizons for the chemistry. There have been reports of M=E/M≡E multiple bonds for the majority of the transition metals, and even some actinide metals. In stark contrast, as the largest subgroup in the periodic table, rare-earth metals (Ln) were scarcely involved in Ln=E/Ln≡E multiple bonds. Until recently, there were a few examples of rare-earth monometallic alkylidene, imido and oxo complexes, featuring Ln=C/N/O bonds. What are in absence are rare-earth monometallic phosphinidene complexes with Ln=P bonds. Herein, we report synthesis and structure of rare-earth monometallic phosphinidene complexes, namely scandium phosphinophosphinidene complexes. Reactivity of scandium phosphinophosphinidene complexes is also mapped out, and appears to be easily tuned by the supporting ligand.