Reactions Involving Transition-Metal Ions and Tripodal Phosphines and Arsines

Abstract

This comment will review reactions involving transition metal ions and tripodal ligands whose donor centers are tertiary phosphine or arsine groups, and will describe typical products that are formed in these reactions. The reactions involving tripodal ligands often have no counterpart in reactions involving ligands with similar donor centers but having shapes other than tripodal. Also, complexes with tripodal ligands often have unique structural properties. Both of these characteristics derive from the particular geometric requirements of tripodal ligands, so we will begin by considering the ways in which these ligands bind to transition metal ions. An exhaustive review covering the whole known range of tripodal ligands will appear elsewhere¹.