Transition-metal complexes could be suitable precursors for binary metal phosphides, which have a wide range of applications such as corrosion resistors, catalysts for hydrodesulfurization and hydrodenitrogenation, oxygen barriers, semiconductors, magnetic materials, anode materials in lithium ion batteries, and nanoparticles.

Evamarie Hey-Hawkins and her team, Leipzig University, Germany, have disclosed a novel dinuclear Mn(I) complex containing the oligophosphanide ligand in the rearranged form [{cyclo-(P₅tBu₄)}PtBu]^–. The new binding mode for the anion was observed when Na[cyclo-(P₅tBu₄)] reacted with two equivalents of [MnBr(CO)₅] to give the phosphorus-rich manganese(I) complex [Mn₂(μ-Br){cyclo-(P₄tBu₃)PtBu}(CO)₆] (pictured).

The mechanism of this rearrangement was studied theoretically and the thermolysis of the new compound was performed and studied by thermogravimetry/differential thermal analysis and powder X-ray diffraction analysis, to finally give the metal phosphide Mn₂P as the final product.

_{Image: © Wiley-VCH}

• Synthesis and Thermolysis of the Phosphorus-Rich Manganese(I) Complex [Mn₂(μ-Br){cyclo-(P₄tBu₃)PtBu}(CO)₆]: From Complexes to Metal Phosphides,
  A. Kircali, R. Frank, S. Gómez-Ruiz, B. Kirchner, E. Hey-Hawkins,
  ChemPlusChem 2012.
  DOI: 10.1002/cplu.201200013

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