27.08.2026 Phosphanyl Radicals!

Phosphanyl radicals [PR₂]^• with simple hydrocarbon-based substituents are intriguing building blocks for the selective synthesis of phosphorus-containing molecules via unconvential reaction pathways. So far, these species could only be obtained by UV-irradiation in the gas phase ans subsequent rapid cooling to  –196 °C. We report the generation of simple phosphanyl radicals by Bi–P homolysis of short-lived, in-situ-generated bismuth phosphanides [Bi(PR₂)₃] and by P–P homolyse of sterically encumbered isolable diphosphanes R₂P–PR₂. The phosphanyl radicals generated with these approaches could be spectroscopically characterized and employed in selective subsequent transformations. These findings have just been accepted for publication in the scientific journal Chem. Eur. J. - congratulations to the team!