Diamondoid Phosphines - Selective Phosphorylation of Nanodiamonds

The diamondoids (nanodiamonds) diamantane and triamantane were selectively converted into diorganophosphinic acid chlorides by reacting them with phosphorus trichloride under Friedel Crafts-like conditions. The di-diamondoid phosphinic acid chlorides were subsequently reduced with trichlorosilane to give the hitherto unknown corresponding di-diamondoid phosphines. These diamondoid phosphinic acid chlorides and phosphines are of great utility as starting materials in organo-element and coordination chemistry due to their extraordinary rigidity and steric bulk.