Synthetic and computational study of geminally bis(supermesityl) substituted phosphorus compounds.

Reaction chemistry of an extremely sterically encumbered phosphinic chloride (Mes*)(2)P(=O)Cl (Mes* = 2,4,6-tri-t-butylphenyl, supermesityl) was investigated. This compound, as well as other compounds bearing two supermesityl groups placed geminally at the central phosphorus atom, shows extremely low reactivity at the phosphorus centre. Nevertheless, some synthetically significant transformations were possible.