[Bis(diisopropylamino)phosphino]trimethylsilylcarbene: A Stable Nucleophilic Carbene

Abstract

R2P̈-C̈-X or R2P⊕  C⊖-X or R2PC-X—which form best describes the activity of the title compound 1? On the basis of its reactions with Me3SiCl, Me3SiN3 and DMSO as well as NMR data, 1 was hitherto regarded as a species with PC multibonding. That 1 is rather a carbene, could now be deduced, inter alia, from the addition of electron deficient alkenes (→2) and tert-butyl isocyanide (→3) (R=iPr2N, X = SiMe3).