The simplest iminophosphane HPNH and its photoisomerization to aminophosphinidene H<sub>2</sub>NP.
basic_science · Level V
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- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 41571664.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/s41467-026-68391-7 and PMC identifier 12910062.
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Abstract
As a heavy analogue of dinitrogen, the diatomic phosphorus mononitride (PN) was the first detected phosphorus-containing compound in the interstellar medium. Hence, small molecules derived from PN including the simplest iminophosphane HPNH and isomeric aminophosphinidene H<sub>2</sub>NP with prototype phosphorus-nitrogen multiple bonds were proposed as candidate interstellar species possibly involving in the astrochemical network of PN. However, the existence and reactivity of HPNH and H<sub>2</sub>NP remain elusive. Here, we report the synthesis of the cis and trans conformers HPNH through high-vacuum flash pyrolysis of di-tert-butylphosphanamine in the gas phase. In addition to the photo-induced conformational interconversion in HPNH, its photoisomerization to H<sub>2</sub>NP in the singlet ground state has also been observed under the matrix-isolation conditions at 10 K. As a singlet phosphinidene, H<sub>2</sub>NP is very reactive as demonstrated by its photoreactions with CO and O<sub>2</sub>. The synthesis and characterization of the long sought-after [H2, N, P] isomers contribute to the fundamental knowledge about PN in main-group and interstellar chemistry.