Method for producing diphosphines and the use thereof

1. A process for preparing diphosphines of formula I

R 1 R 2 P—H 2 C—Ar—CH 2 PR 1 R 2   (I)

which comprises:

a) reacting a dim ethyl compound of formula II

H 3 C—Ar—CH 3   (II)

with a base and an N-substituted aminophosphorus halide to form a bis(aminophosphinomethyl) compound of formula III

R 3 R 4 P—H 2 C—Ar—CH 2 —PR 3 R 4   (III)

b) reacting the compound of formula III with HCl to form a bis(dichlorophosphinomethyl) compound of formula IV

Cl 2 P—H 2 C—Ar—CH 2 —PCl 2   (IV)

and c) reacting the compound of formula IV with an organometallic reagent to give the product compound of formula I, wherein groups R 1 and R 2 are each, independently of one another, are:

(i) heteroaromatics having a five-, six- or seven-membered ring and nitrogen, oxygen or sulfur atoms in the ring, where further aromatic, heteroaromatic and/or aliphatic rings are optionally fused onto the ring and the rings optionally bear up to seven substituents selected from the group consisting of (C 1 -C 8 )-alkyl, O-alkyl-(C 1 -C 8 ), O-phenyl, phenyl, fluorine, chlorine, CN, COOH, CHO, SO 3 H, SO 3 alkyl-(C 1 -C 6 ), SO-alkyl-(C 1 -C 8 ), CF 3 , COO-alkyl-(C 1 -C 8 ), COO-phenyl, PO-phenyl 2 , PO-alkyl 2 -(C 1 -C 4 ), PO 3 H 2 , PO—(O-alkyl-(C 1 -C 6 )) 2 , SO 3 -alkyl-(C 1 -C 4 );

(ii) cyclic or acyclic alkyl radicals which contain up to 10 carbon atoms and optionally bear up to seven substituents selected from the group consisting of (C 1 -C 8 )-alkyl, O-alkyl-(C 1 -C 8 ), O-phenyl, phenyl, fluorine, chlorine, CN, COOH, CHO, SO 3 H, SO 2 -alkyl-(C 1 -C 6 ), SO-alkyl-(C 1 -C 6 ), CF 3 , COO-alkyl-(C 1 -C 8 ), COO-phenyl, PO-phenyl 2 , PO-alkyl 2 -(C 1 -C 4 ), PO 3 H 2 , PO—(O-alkyl-(C 1 -C 8 )) 2 and SO 3 -alkyl-(C 1 -C 4 ); or

(iii) aromatics having up to 14 carbon atoms and are able to bear up to eight substituents selected from the group consisting of (C 1 -C 8 )-alkyl, O-alkyl-(C 1 -C 8 ), O-phenyl, phenyl, fluorine, chlorine, CN, COOH, CHO, SO 3 H, SO 2 -alkyl-(C 1 -C 6 ), SO-alkyl-(C 1 -C 8 ), CF 3 , COO-alkyl-(C 1 -C 8 ), COO-phenyl, PO-phenyl 2 , PO-alkyl 2 -(C 1 -C 4 ), PO 3 H 2 , PO—(O-alkyl-(C 1 -C 6 )) 2 and SO 3 -alkyl-(C 1 -C 4 ), wherein, when the aromatic group is a substituted phenyl group, the phenyl group can not be substituted by fluorine, trifluoromethyl or C 1-8 -alkyl; and Ar is a substituted or unsubstituted aromatic or heteroaromatic hydrocarbon group and R 3 and R 4 are each, independently of one another, an N-substituted alkylamino or arylamino group.

2. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the radicals R 1 and R 2 have one or more covalent bonds between them.

3. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein Ar is a naphthyl, anthracenyl, phenanthrenyl, 1,1′-biphenyl or 1,1′-binaphthyl, each of which optionally bears up to eight substituents selected from the group consisting of (C 1 -C 8 )-alkyl, O-alkyl-(C 1 -C 8 ), O-phenyl, phenyl, fluorine, chlorine, CN, COOH, CHO, SO 3 H, SO 2 -alkyl-(C 1 -C 6 ), SO-alkyl-(C 1 -C 6 ), CF 3 , COO-alkyl-(C 1 -C 8 ), COO-phenyl, PO-phenyl 2 , PO-alkyl 2 -(C 1 -C 4 ), PO 3 H 2 , PO—(O-alkyl-(C 1 -C 6 )) 2, SO 3 -alkyl-(C 1 -C 4 ) and one or more fused-on benzene rings; or phenyl or phenyl substituted with at least one group selected from the group consisting of O-alkyl-(C 1 -C 8 ), O-phenyl, phenyl, chlorine, CN, COOH, CHO, SO 3 H, SO 2 -alkyl-(C 1 -C 6 ), SO-alkyl-(C 1 -C 6 ), COO-alkyl-(C 1 -C 8 ), COO-phenyl, PO-phenyl 2 , PO-alkyl 2 -(C 1 -C 4 ), PO 3 H 2 , PO—(O-alkyl-(C 1 -C 6 )) 2 , SO 3 -alkyl-(C 1 -C 4 ) and one or more fused-on benzene rings.

4. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein Ar is a heteroaromatic comprising a five-, six- or seven-membered ring having nitrogen, oxygen or sulfur atoms in the ring, where additional aromatic, heteroaromatic and/or aliphatic rings optionally are fused onto the ring and the rings optionally bear up to six substituents selected from the group consisting of(C 1 -C 8 )-alkyl, O-alkyl-(C 1 -C 8 ), O-phenyl, phenyl, fluorine, chlorine, CN, COOH, CHO, SO 3 H, SO 2 -alkyl-(C 1 -C 6 ), SO-alkyl-(C 1 -C 6 ), CF 3 , COO-alkyl-(C 1 -C 8 ), COO-phenyl, PO-phenyl 2 , PO-alkyl 2 -(C 1 -C 4 ), PO 3 H 2 , PO—(O-alkyl-(C 1 -C 6 )) 2 and SO 3 -alkyl-(C 1 -C 4 ).

5. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said base of step a) is an alkyllithium or aryllithium compound, an alkali metal hydride or an alkaline earth metal hydride, an alkali metal or an alkaline earth metal in liquid ammonia, an alkali metal hydroxide or an alkaline earth metal hydroxide or an alkali metal alkoxide or an alkaline earth metal alkoxide.

6. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said N-substituted aminophosphorus halide in process step a) is alkylaminophosphorus or arylaminophosphorus chlorides, bromides or iodides, where alkyl is a hydrocarbon radical selected from the group consisting of methyl, ethyl, propyl, isopropyl, butyl, isobutyl, hexyl, 2-ethylhexyl, octyl, isooctyl, nonyl or isononyl radicals and/or these radicals optionally have a covalent bond between them and/or alkylamino is an aliphatic heterocyclic radical having from one to 6 carbon atoms and/or aryl is an aromatic radical having from one to 14 carbon atoms, where these radicals optionally bear up to seven substituents selected from the group consisting of (C 1 -C 8 )-alkyl, O-alkyl-(C 1 -C 8 ), O-phenyl, phenyl, fluorine, chlorine, CN, COOK CHO, SO 3 H, SO 2 -alkyl-(C 1 -C 6 ), SO-alkyl-(C 1 -C 6 ), CF 3 , COO-alkyl-(C 1 -C 8 ), COO-phenyl, PO-phenyl 2 , PO-alkyl 2 (C 1 -C 4 ), PO 3 H 2 , PO(O-alkyl-(C 1 -C 6 )) 2 and SO 3 -alkyl-(C 1 -C 4 ), wherein, when the aromatic group is a substituted phenyl group, the phenyl group can not be substituted by fluorine, trifluoromethyl or C 1-8 -alkyl.

7. The process as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said organometallic reagent in process step c) is a transition metal arene, an aliphatic or aromatic alkali metal compound or an alkaline earth metal compound, an aliphatic or aromatic Grignard reagent, an alkylzinc or arylzinc reagent, an alkyllithium or aryllithium reagent, an arylcopper compound or a mixture thereof.