Revisiting the 7-Phospanorbornene Family: New P-Alkyl Derivatives

ABSTRACT A series of 1‐alkyl‐3‐methyl‐2,5‐dihydro‐1H‐phosphole oxides were converted to the corresponding phosphole oxides that, by the Diels–Alder reaction with N‐maleimide derivatives or with another unit of phosphole oxide, yielded trapped phosphole oxides or phosphole oxide dimers, respectively, as new 7‐phosphanorbornene 7‐oxides. The stereostructures of three derivatives were evaluated by single crystal X‐ray analysis. The regio‐ and stereospecific dimerization was studied by B3LYP/6‐31G(d,p) quantum chemical calculations, whose results were in accord with syntheses. Novel mechanistic features were explored. The geometrical data obtained by single crystal X‐ray analysis validated the results of quantum chemical calculations, as the deviation was less than 3%.