New trigonal tris(phosphine oxides)

The reaction of 1,1,1-tris(chloromethyl)propane with diphenylphosphine under phase-transfer conditions afforded 1,1,1-tris(diphenylphosphinomethyl)propane, whose oxidation gave a previously unknown representative of trigonal tris(phosphine oxides), viz., stable 1,1,1-tris(diphenylphosphorylmethyl)propane. Its analogs, viz., bis(diphenylphosphoryl)diphenylphosphinomethane and tris(diphenylphosphoryl)methane, are unstable in air and decompose with the cleavage of the P-C bond.