New routes to diarsenes and arsaphosphenes involving fluorinated arsines

The stable diarsene ArAsAsAr (1) and arsaphosphene ArAsPAr (6) (Ar=2,4,6-tri-tert-butylphenyl) have been synthesized in excellent yields from the difluoroarsine ArAsF2 by reaction with ArAs(Li)SiMe3 (for 1) and with ArP(H)Li followed by t-BuLi (for 6). Compound 1, previously prepared by other routes, as well as the new compound 6 were characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction (d(AsAs) 2.2634(3) Å, d(PAs) 2.141(5) Å).