George G. Stanley of Louisiana State University will study the synthesis and chemical reactivity of binucleating polytertiary- phosphines and their coordination compounds in this research within the Inorganic, Bioinorganic and Organometallic Chemistry Program. These coordination compounds will be examined with respect to their catalytic behavior on the hydroformylation reaction with alkenes to produce aldehydes and subsequently primary alcohols, both of which are commercially important classes of organic compounds. Bis?phenyl(2-diethylphosphinoethyl)phosphino!methane, a tetra- tertiary phosphine which forms bimetallic complexes with the metals in close proximity (closed-mode or "cradle" complexes), and some tetraphosphine analogues, will be used as the ligands of choice for this study. The unique property of this set of ligands to form the cradle complexes, instead of the open-mode usually observed with previously examined polyphosphines, allows the study of metal cooperativity in this series of catalysts. Reactions to be studied include double hydroformylation of conjugated dienes (e.g., butadiene), asymmetric hydro-formylation of prochiral alkenes, and carbon-carbon bond formation in alkene and alkyne cyclizations and oligomerizations.
