Appearance colorless gas | ||
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Dimethylphosphine is the organophosphorus compound with the formula (CH3)2PH, often written Me2PH. It is a malodorous gas that condenses to a colorless liquid just below room temperature. Although it can be produced by methylation of phosphine, a more practical synthesis involves the reduction of tetramethyldiphosphine disulfide with tributylphosphine:
[Me2P(S)]2 + PBu3 + H2O → Me2PH + SPBu3 + Me2P(O)H
Reactions
The compound exhibits the properties characteristic of a secondary phosphine, i.e., a compound of the type R2PH. It can be oxidized to the phosphinic acid:
Me2PH + O2 → Me2PO2HIt protonates to give the phosphonium ion:
Me2PH + H+ → Me2PH2+With strong bases, it can be deprotonated to give dimethylphosphide derivatives:
Me2PH + LiNH2 → Me2PLi + NH3References
Dimethylphosphine Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA