Editorial [Hot Topic: Special Issue on Organophosphorus Chemistry (Guest Editor: Gyorgy Keglevich) (Part I) ]

The Editor-in-Chief and the management of Current Organic Chemistry decided to devote a special issue to Organophosphorus Chemistry in 2005, to be followed by two more thematic issues in 2006 and 2007. The dedication of one special issue to organophosphorus chemistry, among the annual 18 issues, is a clear recognition of the importance of this subject, the recent trends and achievements of which can be surveyed at www.icpc2004.com (the website of the most recent International Conference on Phosphorus Chemistry). The organophosphorus chemistry covered by the articles of this issue includes highlighted topics in bioorganic chemistry, organometallic chemistry, asymmetric synthesis (catalysis) supramolecular chemistry and heterocyclic chemistry. These days the medicinal aspects of organophosphorus compounds are indeed in focus, the group of compounds with anticancer and antiviral activity forms one of the majos fields. The use of computer-aided design in the development of novel phosphonic and phosphinic acids as enzyme inhibitors, in both the agrochemical and biomedical fields, is ananother active field of research. Phosphines are widely applied as ligands in transition metal complexes. A special and environmentally friendly method for the preparation of phosphines involves hydrophosphination. The most convenient precursors of P(III)-ligands are the corresponding boranes. The synthesis and utilisation of borane complexes of trivalent phosphorus acids is a brand new field. The coordination chemistry of cyano-substituted phosphines and heterocyclic phosphines, such as phosphinines represents a promising discipline also from the point of view of catalytic applications of transition metals. Macrocycles combined with special chelating -C(O)NHP(O)-moieties may be special complexants towards a variety of metal cations. The P-heterocyclic field has become one of the most dynamically developing branches of organophosphorus chemistry. Thus, 5- and 6-membered P-heterocycles, as well as bridged derivatives form representative groups of ring phosphorus compounds. The newer developments of phosphole, and of dihydro- and tetrahydrophosphinine chemistry, are of interest from a number of points of view. Bridged 1,2-oxaphosphabicyclo[2.2.2]octene 2-oxides are precursors of metaphosphonates, useful in phosphonylations. The 1. Organophosphorus Special Issue has been divided into two parts published back to back. The five reviews included in this issue (Part I) is to be followed by five other articles in Volume 10, Number 1 (Part II). The forthcoming papers are the following: The Chemistry of Phosphinines: Syntheses, Coordination Chemistry and Catalysis by Nicolas Mézailles and Pascal Le Floch N-Acylamidophosphinates: Structure, Properties and Complexation Towards Main Group Metal Cations by Felix D. Sokolov, Vasiliy V. Brusko, Nail G. Zabirov and Rafael A. Cherkasov The Continuing Development of the Chemistry of Phospholes by Louis D. Quin 2-Phospha- and 2,3-Oxaphosphabicyclo[2.2.2]octenes - Synthesis and Fragmentation to Low-coordinated Species by Stefan Jankowski and Krzysztof Huben 6-Membered P-Heterocycles: 1,2-Dihydro-, 1,2,3,6-Tetrahydro- and 1,2,3,4,5,6-Hexahydrophosphinine 1-Oxides by Gyorgy Keglevich