The synthesis of hypodiphosphoric acid and its related compounds began in 1877, but no summary of the synthetic efforts has been reported. This review includes published papers related to the molecules containing the >P(=O)-P(=O)< fragment, which notably resembles the structure of the >P(=O)-O-P(=O)< moiety, the essential building block of many important molecules found in nature and in the field of medicinal chemistry. This review covers the strategies related to the synthesis of hypodiphosphoric acid (former name hypophosphoric acid), its ester form, and diphosphine dioxides. Finally, some properties and applications of these structures studied during this period are presented.
Keywords: biological activity; diphosphine dioxide; hypodiphosphoric acid; hypodiphosphoric acid ester; metal complex.