Insertion of sodium phosphaethynolate, Na[OCP], into a zirconium-benzyne complex

Reaction of the zirconium-benzyne complex [Cp₂Zr(PMe₃)(C₆H₄)] with sodium phosphaethynolate, Na[OCP], affords a zircono-phosphaalkene complex. Notably, unlike reactions of other transition metal complexes with Na[OCP] that yield the products of simple salt metathesis, this transformation represents novel Na[OCP] insertion chemistry and formation of an unusual solid state coordination polymer. The polymer is disrupted upon addition of Me₃SiCl to afford a silyl-capped dimer that retains the zirconophosphaalkene functionality. Protonation of either form of zirconophosphaalkenes results in the formation of benzoylphosphine, PhC([double bond, length as m-dash]O)PH₂.