Nickel(II) complexes containing a pyrrole-diphosphine pincer ligand.

A new pincer ligand, (P(2)(Ph)Pyr)(-), based on the anion of 2,5-bis[(diphenylphosphino)methyl]pyrrole has been prepared in four steps from pyrrole. The ligand undergoes oxidation to diphosphine oxide under ambient conditions and was therefore isolated as its borane adduct, H(P(2)(Ph)Pyr)·2BH(3) (2). Delivery of the ligand to nickel(II) was accomplished by the direct reaction of NiCl(2) with 2 in the presence of Et(2)NH to afford [NiCl(P(2)(Ph)Pyr)].