Gabriele Hierlmeier, Roger Jan Kutta, Peter Coburger, Hans-Georg Stammler, Jan Schwabedissen, Norbert W Mitzel, Maria Dimitrova, Raphael J F Berger, Patrick Nuernberger, Robert Wolf
Di- tert -butyldiphosphatetrahedrane ( t BuCP)2 (1) is a mixed carbon- and phosphorus-based tetrahedral molecule, isolobal to white phosphorus (P4 ). However, despite the fundamental significance and well-explored reactivity of the latter molecule, the precise structure of the free ( t BuCP)2 molecule (1) and a detailed analysis of its electronic properties have remained elusive. Here, single-crystal X-ray structure determination of 1 at low temperature confirms the tetrahedral structure. Furthermore, quantum chemical calculations confirm that 1 is isolobal to P4 and shows a strong largely isotropic diamagnetic response in the magnetic field and thus pronounced spherical aromaticity...
April 17, 2024: Chemical Science