Chemistry of diorganodithiophosphate (and phosphinate) derivatives with arsenic, antimony and bismuth

Dialkyldithiophosphates, alkylenedithiophosphates (and dialkyldithiophosphinates) are versatile ligands and exhibit remarkable diversity in their coordination patterns with transition and non-transition metals including arsenic, antimony and bismuth. Their derivatives with these metals have also found applications in a number of ways such as analytical reagents, lubricant additives, regeneration of cracking catalysts and antitumour agents. In view of the above, a brief review article is being presented on synthetic and structural aspects of dialkyldithiophosphate, alkylenedithiophosphate and dialkyldithiophosphinate derivatives of arsenic, antimony and bismuth and their organometallic moieties. Starting with a brief introduction and synthesis of ligands, the synthesis of various diorganodithiophosphate (and dialkyldithiophosphinate) derivatives with arsenic, antimony and bismuth and their corresponding organometallic moieties and mixed derivatives as well as their properties and reactions have been described. The structural features have been discussed with the help of spectroscopic (IR, NMR and mass) studies. X-ray single crystal structures of a number of tris as well as organometallic derivatives have also been reviewed explaining various types (monodentate, iso and anise bidentate and tricoordinate-mixed bridging and chelating) of behaviour of the ligands and stereochemistry of the complexes considering various factors such as the presence of the stereochemically active lone pair, small ligand bite and molecular associations. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science S.A.