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Updated: Jun 23, 2026

Synthesis of High Purity Nonsymmetric Dialkylphosphinic Acid Extractants
Published on: October 19, 2017
Closed-loop hydrostannylation of white phosphorus using Bu3SnCl and NaBH4: one-pot access to organophosphorus
Michael Mende1, Lina Heidkamp1, Robert Wolf1
1Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, University of Regensburg, 93040 Regensburg, Germany. robert.wolf@ur.de.
Abstract:
The direct functionalization of white phosphorus (P4) is gaining attention as an alternative to state-of-the-art multi-step processes. The hydrostannylation of P4 affords valuable monophosphorus compounds directly via a hydrostannylphosphine mixture (Bu3Sn)xPH3-x (where x = 0-3) that reacts with suitable electrophiles. However, previous reports required terminal reductants which are infeasible for industrial-scale applications. Here, we report an improvement in this chemistry using NaBH4 as the terminal reducing agent, generating the key hydrostannylation agent Bu3SnH in situ from Bu3SnCl. The resulting (Bu3Sn)xPH3-x mixtures were successfully functionalized towards useful P1 compounds. Furthermore, we present the 'one-pot' preparation of tetrakis(hydroxymethyl)phosphonium chloride (THPC), the subsequent direct recycling of Bu3SnCl, and preliminary attempts towards the catalytic synthesis of THPC.
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