1,3-Bis(diphenylphosphino)propane

1,3-Bispropane is an organophosphorus compound with the formula PhPPPh. The compound is a white solid that is soluble in organic solvents. It is slightly air-sensitive, degrading in air to the phosphine oxide. It is classified as a diphosphine ligand in coordination chemistry and homogeneous catalysis.
The diphosphine can be prepared by the reaction of lithium diphenylphosphide and 1,3-dichloropropane :
However, it can be synthesised via a much more controllable route, via metal-halogen exchange and then metathesis:

Coordination chemistry and use as co-catalyst

The diphosphine serves as a bidentate ligand forming six-membered CPM chelate ring with a natural bite angle of 91°. For example, the complex dichloro(1,3-bis(diphenylphosphino)propane)nickel is prepared by combining equimolar portions of the ligand and nickel(II) chloride hexahydrate. This nickel complex serves as a catalyst for the Kumada coupling reaction. Dppp is also used as a ligand for palladium catalysts to co-polymerize carbon monoxide and ethylene to give polyketones. Dppp can sometimes be used in palladium-catalyzed arylation under Heck reaction conditions to control regioselectivity.