Mild Reduction of Phosphine Oxides with Phosphites To Access Phosphines

Peng Li; Raphael Wischert; Pascal Métivier

doi:10.1002/anie.201709519

Mild Reduction of Phosphine Oxides with Phosphites To Access Phosphines

Angew Chem Int Ed Engl. 2017 Dec 11;56(50):15989-15992. doi: 10.1002/anie.201709519. Epub 2017 Oct 26.

Authors

Peng Li¹, Raphael Wischert¹, Pascal Métivier²

Affiliations

¹ Eco-Efficient Products and Processes Laboratory (E2P2 laboratory), UMI-3464, Solvay/CNRS, 3966 Jindu Rd., Xinzhuang Industrial Zone, Shanghai, 201108, China.
² Solvay Asia Pacific, 3966 Jindu Rd., Xinzhuang Industrial Zone, Shanghai, 201108, China.

PMID: 28994175
DOI: 10.1002/anie.201709519

Abstract

A new method for the iodine-catalyzed reduction of phosphine oxides with phosphites at room temperature is reported. The mild reaction conditions, scalability, and simple purification requirements render it a method of choice for the large-scale production and facile regeneration of a variety of phosphines. Mechanistic studies, supported by DFT calculations of the oxygen transfer between the starting phosphine oxide and the phosphite reagent, are also presented. Such transmutations of phosphorus species were previously unknown.

Keywords: iodine; phosphine oxides; phosphines; phosphites; reduction.