Anodic synthesis and molecular structure of dodecaethylhexaamidobisphosphonium diperchlorate

The electrochemical oxidation of hexaethyl triamidophosphite in the absence of nucleophiles specially introduced into the electrolyte was studied by anodic voltamperometry and preparative electrolysis. The reversible one-electron oxidation of the triamidophosphite molecule gives an unstable radical-cation, which reacts with a molecule of the starting compound to give a dimeric radical-cation, whose subsequent oxidation leads to dodecaethylhexaamidobisphosphonium diperchlorate. This product is the first example of an acyclic, doubly charged bisphosphonium cation with a {Mathematical expression}. The crystal structure of this compound was obtained by x-ray diffraction structure analysis. © 1990 Plenum Publishing Corporation