Tris(1‐methyl‐imidazol‐2‐yl)phosphane Complexes of Pnictogen, Tetrel, and Triel Cations

cations gallium indium nitrogen ligands pnictogens tetrelThe synthesis and characterization of salts with the generic formula [P(Im) 3 M ][OTf] x (Im=1‐methyl‐imidazol‐2‐yl; M=P, As or Sb and x= 3; M=Ge or Sn and x= 2) are reported. In all cases, the cations adopt a cage structure with two chemically and energetically distinct apical lone pairs. In contrast, complexes of gallium and indium engage two P(Im) 3 ligands resulting in a distorted octahedral geometry for the triel center in compounds of the generic formula [{P(Im) 3 } 2 M ][OTf] 3 (M=Ga or In). An assessment of the acidity and basicity of the new compounds is presented.