Iridium-catalysed dehydrocoupling of aryl phosphine-borane adducts: synthesis and characterisation of high molecular weight poly(phosphinoboranes)

The thermal dehydrogenative coupling of aryl phosphine-borane adducts with iridium complexes bearing a bis(phosphinite) pincer ligand is reported. This catalysis produces high molecular weight poly(phosphinoboranes) [ArPH-BH2](n) (Ar = Ph, (p)Tol, Mes). Furthermore, we investigated the reactivity of these pincer complexes towards primary phosphines and their respective borane adducts on a stoichiometric scale.