Novel representatives of 16-membered aminomethylphosphines with alkyl substituents at nitrogen and their gold(I) complexes

Novel 1,9-diaza-3,7,11,15-tetraphosphacyclohexadecanes with alkyl, arylalkyl, or heteroarylalkyl substituents at the endocyclic nitrogen atoms were synthesized by condensation of 1,3-bis(phenylphosphino)propane, formaldehyde, and primary amines. The reactions are stereoselective and result in the isomer with the RSSR configuration of the phosphorus atoms as the major product. The 16-membered tetrakis(phosphine) ligands form stable neutral tetranuclear complexes with gold(I). In these complexes, the 16-membered cyclic ligands retain their free-state conformations and the configuration of the chiral phosphorus atoms.