ATTEMPTED RESOLUTION OF FREE (+ -)-CHLOROPHENYLISOPROPYLPHOSPHINE/

(+/-)-Chlorophenylisopropylphosphine has been resolved in a palladium( II) complex containing the phosphine and ortho-metalated (R)-1-[1-(dim ethylamino)ethyl]naphthalene; the configurationally homogeneous (R,Rp) diastereomer of the complex crystallises from the reaction mixture by typical second-order asymmetric transformation in overall 82% yield. The absolute configuration of the complex was determined by X-ray crys tallography. The pure (R,Rp) diastereomer of the complex reacts quanti tatively with methanol in the presence of triethylamine to give the co rresponding methoxyphosphine complex with complete stereoselectivity a nd inversion at phosphorus. All attempts at liberating optically activ e chlorophosphine from the palladium complex were unsuccessful.