Synthesis and characterization of mixed-substituent P-n-propyl-N-trimethylsilylphosphoranimines

One approach to the synthesis of polyphosphazenes is the condensation polymerization of phosphoranimines. In this work, several novel P-n-propyl-N-trimethylsilylphosphoranimines have been synthesized and characterized. Modifications to the literature synthetic routes were required to obtain the precursor phosphines. The N-trimethylsilylphosphoranimines were obtained though oxidation of the phosphine with bromine and then subsequent nucleophilic displacement using lithium phenoxide. These phosphoranimines were stable for long periods of time under dry inert conditions. NMR analyses revealed complex splitting patterns beyond typical coupling due to the stereocenter at phosphorus. We report several approaches to the n-propyl containing phosphines and phosphoranimines.