Catalytic hydrophosphination of alkynes using structurally diverse sodium diphenylphosphide donor complexes

Currently, there is a drive to develop the organoelement chemistry of sodium, most abundant alkali metal on earth, as an alternative that rarer lithium, with prime focus sustainability. Organolithium compounds have been essential success synthetic for more than century, although their implementation has essentially confined stoichiometric synthesis. Here, we report synthetic, structural, catalytic, mechanistic, and theoretical studies series sodium diphenylphosphides, having unique structures defined by Lewis base donor D solvating acidic cation. These complexes are explored hydrophosphination catalysts reacting Ph 2 P–H range alkynes prove be generally effective under ambient conditions, especially when n = 1 in [{Ph PNa(D) x } ]. Density functional theory (DFT) shed light possible mechanisms these catalytic cycles how they relate E, Z, or α isomer formed. • Four crystallographically characterized diphenylphosphide Screening applications Detailed DFT analysis probing different Homogeneous catalysis relies heavily use precious transition catalysts. Whitelaw et al. describe alternative, structurally well-defined based earth-abundant which can catalyze reactions leading alkenes.