Preparation and characterization of bis(trifluoromethyl)phosphanide salts of outstanding stability.

The stable compounds [NEt(4)][P(CF(3))(2)] and [18-crown-6-K][P(CF(3))(2)] were synthesized in quantitative yields by treatment of HP(CF(3))(2) with ionic cyanides at low temperature. These novel salts were characterized by multinuclear NMR spectroscopy, elemental analysis, and vibrational spectroscopy. Excellent agreement of experimental and theoretical vibrational frequencies, calculated at the B3PW91 level of theory, clearly confirms the saltlike character of these compounds. Due to their ionic nature, these salts are excellent nucleophilic reagents for the transfer of P(CF(3))(2) groups, suitable for the synthesis of chiral bidentate bis(trifluoromethyl)phosphine containing compounds.