Estimating p<i>K</i>_a Values for Pentaoxyphosphoranes

pKa values are estimated independently, by two entirely different methods, for the ionizations of the apical and equatorial OH groups of two representative hydroxyphosphoranes. A bond length-pKa correlation based on crystal structures of cyclohexanol derivatives gives values of 13.5 +/- 1.5 and 8.62 +/- 1.87, respectively, for the apical and equatorial OH groups of tetracyclohexyloxyhydroxyphosphorane, and an ab initio molecular dynamics calculation gives values of 14.2 and 9.8 for the corresponding first ionizations of pentahydroxyphosphorane.