The utility of phosphabenzenes as ligands in late transition metal catalysis is examined. Molecular orbital calculations indicate that phosphabenzenes possess a low lying LUMO permitting π-back bonding interactions. The resultant electron withdrawing nature of the phosphabenzenes is beneficial for reactions in which reductive elimination steps are rate- limiting. For example, phosphabenzenes were found to function well in nickel catalyzed [4 ...
[Broeckx, Leen E. E.; Gueven, Sabriye; Heutz, Frank J. L.; Lutz, Martin; Vogt, Dieter; Mueller, Christian Chemistry - A European Journal, 2013 , vol. 19, # 39 p. 13087 - 13098]