Science, Vol.279, No.5359, 2080-2082, 1998
Isolation of a benzene valence isomer with one-electron phosphorus-phosphorus bonds
A tetraphosphabenzene analog of the postulated anti-tricyclohexylene, a singlet biradical valence isomer of benzene, has been isolated. The tricyclic derivative features one-electron phosphorus-phosphorus bonds, which result from the pi*-pi* interaction between two diphosphirenyl radicals. Such one-electron bonds may play a wider role in phosphorus chemistry.