New water-soluble (hydroxymethyl)triphosphine [(HOCH2)2PCH2CH2]2PCH2OH, a derived PdII(triphosphine) complex, and triphosphine trioxide

An aqueous solution of (hydroxymethyl)triphosphine [(HOCH2)(2)P(CH2)(2)](2)PCH2OH (II) was synthesized in situ by treatment of the triphosphine H2P(CH2)(2)PH(CH2)(2)PH2 with formaldehyde. Addition of a CH2Cl2 solution of trans-PdCl2(PhCN)(2) to an in situ aqueous solution of II resulted in the formation of a species thought to be [PdCl{[(HOCH2)(2)P(CH2)(2)](2)PCH2OH}]Cl-+(-). Attempts to isolate the complex were unsuccessful because of conversion to material containing small amounts of phosphine oxide(s) formed via a redox reaction involving water. The triphosphine trioxide [(HOCH2)(2)P(O)(CH2)(2)](2)P(O)CH2OH was readily isolated from an in situ solution of II by treatment with aqueous H2O2.