Reactivity, structure and electrospray mass spectrometry of pentafluoro- and pentachloro-phenoxy-substituted cyclotriphosphazenes

The reaction of N3P3Cl6 with the sodium salts of pentachloro- and pentafluorophenol, has been investigated. In contrast to the non-geminal substitution typified by other RO− nucleophiles, the regiochemistry of the reaction of C6X5O− (X=Cl and F) with N3P3Cl6 is dominated by geminal substitution. The reaction of C6Cl5O− with N3P3Cl6 in refluxing tetrahydrofuran yielded gem-N3P3Cl2(OC6Cl5)4 (1) as the major product. The fully substituted derivative N3P3(OC6Cl5)6 (2) was attained in low yield from reaction in refluxing diglyme. In contrast, the reaction of C6F5O− with N3P3Cl6 in refluxing tetrahydrofuran yielded the fully substituted product N3P3(OC6F5)6 (3) after approximately 4 h. 31P NMR spectral results suggest the C6F5O− ion may be attacking in a 'random' fashion at low degrees of substitution, which is largely replaced by an electronic geminal-directing effect at tetrasubstitution. Single crystal X-ray crystallographic analyses have been carried out on compounds 1 and 3. Electrospray mass spectrometry has been evaluated as a general technique for characterizing cyclotriphosphazenes, N3P3R6. If R=OEt or OPh, good positive ion spectra are observed but, in contrast, if R is more strongly electron withdrawing (Cl, C6Cl5O or C6F5O) negative ion spectra are obtained