Synthesis and evolution of phosphanylcarbene–borane adducts

Abstract
Photolysis of [bis(dicyclohexylamino)phosphanyl](trimethylsilyl)diazomethane leads to the corresponding stable carbene1b, which reacts with triethylborane affording a borane–carbene adduct2b, characterized by spectroscopy in solution before rearrangement and fragmentation into P-dicyclohexylamino-C-(ethyl)(trimethylsilyl)phosphaalkene3b; trimethylsilyltrifluoromethanesulfonate adds to 1b giving the methylenephosphonium4b.