Recent Breakthroughs in P4 Chemistry: Towards Practical, Direct Transformations into P1 Compounds

• Published in: Angewandte Chemie International Edition Vol. 61; no. 28; pp. e202205019 - n/a
• Main Author: Scott, Daniel J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Weinheim Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 11-07-2022; John Wiley and Sons Inc
• Edition: International ed. in English
• Subjects: Catalysis; Chemistry; Direct Transformations; Minireview; Minireviews; Monophosphorus Compounds; Organophosphorus; Phosphorus; White Phosphorus
• ISSN: 1433-7851; 1521-3773; 1521-3773
• DOI: 10.1002/anie.202205019

For several decades, academic researchers have been intensively studying the chemistry of white phosphorus (P4) in the hope of developing direct methods for its transformation into useful P‐containing products. This would bypass the hazardous, multistep procedures currently relied on by industry. However, while academically interesting P4 activation reactions have become well established, their elaboration into useful, general synthetic procedures has remained out of reach. Very recently, however, a series of independent reports has begun to change this state of affairs. Each shows how relatively simple and practical synthetic methods can be used to access academically or industrially relevant P1 compounds from P4 directly, in “one pot” or even in a catalytic fashion. These reports mark a step change in the field of P4 chemistry, and suggest its possible transition from an area of largely academic interest to one with the promise of true synthetic relevance.
The transformation of white phosphorus directly into useful P1 products has long been an extremely challenging synthetic goal. However, in the past few years, several independent breakthroughs have shown that such reactions are achievable using a variety of different mechanistic strategies. This Minireview highlights these recent innovations, discusses their key features, and analyses their implications for the future development of this field.