PHOSPHORUS-PENTACHLORIDE REACTIONS WITH CONJUGATED CARBONYL-COMPOUNDSAND CONJUGATED OLEFINS

Phosphorus pentachloride was reacted with conjugated aromatic and carb onyl compounds. The conjugated aromatic compounds were cis and trans s tilbene, and the carbonyl compounds were diphenylketene and 2,3,4,5-te traphenylcyclopentadiene. Two solvents used for these reactions were 1 ,1,2,2-tetrachlorethane and methylene chloride. Phosphorus pentachlori de can dissociate into phosphorus trichloride and chlorine and our res ults indicated this was the reaction mechanism for phosphorus pentachl oride reacting with 1,1,2,2-tetraphenylcyclopentadiene. With stilbene, cis and trans, the mechanism with phosphorus pentachloride was the sp (3)d(2) octahedral complex mechanism. With diphenylketene the mechanis m was the dissociation of phosphorus pentachloride into the phosphorus tetrachloro cation and the phosphorus hexachloro anion.