One-pot synthesis of primary phosphines from white phosphorus

Abstract

Aryl and alkyl chlorides are inexpensive and readily accessible, making them ideal reagents for converting white phosphorus (P4) into primary phosphines RPH2. However, methods for achieving this transformation directly, bypassing undesired intermediates like PCl3, have remained elusive. This report describes the ‘one-pot’ synthesis of primary organophosphines from P4 using organotin compounds, including a multi-gram synthesis of PhPH2 featuring efficient recovery of organotin reagents for potential recycling.

Graphical abstract: One-pot synthesis of primary phosphines from white phosphorus

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Communication
Submitted
18 ៦ 2025
Accepted
18 ៧ 2025
First published
21 ៧ 2025
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY license

Chem. Commun., 2025, Advance Article

One-pot synthesis of primary phosphines from white phosphorus

M. Mende, J. Cammarata, D. J. Scott and R. Wolf, Chem. Commun., 2025, Advance Article , DOI: 10.1039/D5CC03444B

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