A zwitterionic triphosphenium compound as a tunable multifunctional donor.

The preparation of a novel triphosphenium zwitterion featuring di-, tri-, and tetra-coordinate phosphorus centres derived from a 1,2,4-tris-(diphenylphoshinyl)cyclopentadienyl framework is described. The reactivity of this potentially multidentate donor with protons, elemental sulfur and gold(i) chloride is examined, and the preferential reactivity of the pendant phosphine group over the P(i) centre is rationalized on the basis of density functional theory investigations.