Df. Foster et al., EVIDENCE FOR REDUCTIVE ELIMINATION OF H-2 IN THE DECOMPOSITION OF PRIMARY ARSINES, Journal of electronic materials, 24(11), 1995, pp. 1731-1738
The decomposition of o-CH3C6H4AsD2 (o-tolyl AsD2) in the gas phase at
900K gives toluene with 0-3 D atoms in the methyl group and/or D on th
e ortho carbon. These experimental data, together with calculations ca
rried out in the PM3 system show that the only low energy pathway for
decomposition of o-tolylAsD(2) involves loss of D-2 followed by reacti
on of o-tolylAs with intact o-tolylAsD(2) to give o-tolylAsD ..o-tolyl
AsD . can reductively eliminate toluene or can undergo a rearrangement
to o-HDAsC6H4CH2 . for which the calculated free energy of activation
at 900K is very similar to that for reductive elimination, hence expl
aining the multiple deuteriation of the methyl group of toluene. Calcu
lations on the decomposition of (t)BuAsH(2) show that this too decompo
ses by loss of H-2 to give (t)BuAs with a very low free energy of acti
vation. (t)BuAs decomposes via beta-H abstraction to 2-methylpropene a
nd AsH. There is no unimolecular process with a low free energy of act
ivation that leads to 2-methylpropane, so it is proposed that this pro
duct arises mainly from bimolecular H transfer from (t)BuAsH(2) to (t)
BuAs to give (t)BuAsH . which can lose 2-methylpropene or (t)Bu ..(t)B
u . abstracts H from an AsH species to give 2-methylpropane. A number
of experimental results on the decomposition of (t)BuAsH(2) are ration
alized in terms of these mechanistic pathways.