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Updated: Apr 6, 2026

Synthesis of High Purity Nonsymmetric Dialkylphosphinic Acid Extractants
Published on: October 19, 2017
A Convenient Synthetic Protocol to 1,2-Bis(dialkylphosphino)ethanes
Laurence R Doyle1, Alex Heath1, Choon Heng Low1
1Department of Chemistry, Imperial College London London SW7 2AZ, U.K.
Abstract:
1,2-Bis(dialkylphosphino)ethanes are readily prepared from the parent phosphine oxides, via a novel sodium aluminium hydride/sodium hydride reduction protocol of intermediate chlorophosphonium chlorides. This approach is amenable to multi-gram syntheses, utilises readily available and inexpensive reagents, and benefits from a facile non-aqueous work-up in the final reductive step.
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