Structure and stereochemistry of a 7-phosphabicyclo[2.2.1]hept-2-ene-7-oxide from X-ray, multinuclear NMR, and 2D-J resolved NMR studies
Preparations of a 7-phosphanorbornene, from the reaction of 1,2,5-triphenylphosphole-1-oxide with inhibited acrylonitrile in benzene, were repeated under various conditions to determine if one, or more than one, stereoisomer was formed. Adduct formation failed to occur when the reaction was attempted in ethanol, or when the precursor 1,2,5-triphenylphosphole was substituted for the phosphole oxide. Elemental analysis and spectroscopic measurements confirmed that a 1:1 adduct had been obtained, and an X-ray structure determination of the ethanol complex established that this was 5-cyano-1,4,7-triphenyl-7-phosphabicyclo[2.2.1]hept-2-ene-7-oxide, 3a. Details of the 1H, 13C, and 31P NMR assignments, of potential value in the structural assignment of other similar adducts, are related to previous results. The results of a brief mass spectrometric analysis of the changes in the thermal fragmentation pattern of the adduct with temperature are discussed in relation to the synthetic reaction. Keywords: phosphole adduct, phosphanorbornene, phosphabicycloheptene, acrylonitrile.