Observation of $ψ(3686)\to p\bar{p}φ$

Using a data sample of $4.48\times10^{8}$ $\psip$ events collected with the BESIII detector, we present a first observation of $ψ(3686)\to p\bar{p}φ$, and we measure its branching fraction to be $[6.06\pm0.38 ($stat.$) \pm 0.48 ($syst.$)]\times10^{-6}$. In contrast to the earlier discovery of a threshold enhancement in the $p\bar{p}$-mass spectrum of the channel $J/ψ\toγp\bar p$, denoted as $X(p\bar{p})$, we do not find a similar enhancement in $ψ(3686)\to p\bar{p}φ$. An upper limit of $1.82\times10^{-7}$ at the $90\%$ confidence level on the branching fraction of $ψ(3686)\to X(p\bar{p})φ\to p\bar{p}φ$ is obtained.