Synthesis of tervalent phosphorus esters in biphasic system using potassium phosphate as unique solid base

The synthesis of tervalent phosphorus esters continues to be a significant area of interest, much of it again directed toward the synthesis of phosphite ligands for metal‐catalyzed reactions. Typically, they were obtained through esterification of the corresponding phosphorus chlorides with the appropriate alcohols in the presence of an amine. In this paper, we present a new method for the synthesis of tervalent phosphorus esters, not yet mentioned in the literature, when potassium phosphate, as a unique base, is used in liquid–solid system. Symmetrical and unsymmetrical phosphites were obtained with good yields (65%–80%) using this method. The compounds were characterized by ³¹P NMR spectroscopy. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Heteroatom Chem 19:360–364, 2008; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ). DOI 10.1002/hc.20438