Triphenylarsine

Triphenylarsine is the chemical compound with the formula As₃. This organoarsenic compound, often abbreviated AsPh₃, is a colorless crystalline solid that is used as a ligand and a reagent in coordination chemistry and organic synthesis. The molecule is pyramidal with As-C distances of 1.942–1.956 Å and C-As-C angles of 99.6–100.5°.

Preparation

Triphenylarsine is prepared by treating phenyl lithium with arsenic tribromide. The method can be used to prepare many analogues with diverse aryl groups.
Triphenylarsine can also be prepared by the Wurtz-like reaction of arsenic trichloride with chlorobenzene using sodium as the reducing agent:

Reactions

Reaction of triphenylarsine with lithium gives lithium diphenylarsenide and phenyllithium:
Triphenylarsine is the precursor to tetraphenylarsonium chloride, Cl, a popular precipitating agent.
Many metal-arsine complexes have been prepared using AsPh₃. Examples include IrCl₂, RhCl₃, and Fe₄.
Treatment of triphenylarsine with hydrogen peroxide gives triphenylarsine oxide: