Synthesis of Bicyclic P,S-Heterocycles via the Addition of Thioketones to a Phosphorus-Centered Open-Shell Singlet Biradical.

Formal addition reactions between the open-shell singlet biradical [P(μ-NTer)]2 (1Ter) and xanthione, thioxanthione, as well as ferrocenyl naphthyl thioketone were studied in detail. Reactions were performed at room temperature and led to the formation of strained [2.1.1]-cage P,S-heterocycles (3). All addition products were isolated and fully characterized by spectroscopic methods. Furthermore, reversible cleavage of the xanthenthione-biradical addition product into the parent compounds (biradical and thioketone) could be demonstrated by 31P{1H} NMR spectroscopy. The thermodynamic stability of all cyclization products with respect to the elimination of thioketone was studied by quantum-chemical computations including solvent effects. Regarding the dissociation of addition products 3 into the fragment molecules 1Ter and ketone/thioketone, calculations prove that a significantly larger distortion energy in ketones compared with thioketones causes lower thermodynamic stability of the ketone adducts.