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

Organophosphorus chemistry continues to be a highly important sector of organic chemistry, as shown by the numerous publications in this field. The 17th International Conference on Phosphorus Chemistry held in Xiamen (China) recently (http://icpc2007.xmu.edu.cn/) highlighted some of the most significant and exciting trends. The importance of this field is also acknowledged by the management of Current Organic Chemistry by encouraging me to put together the 3rd Organophosphorus Special Issue that, like the previous two special issues, summarizes recent results of some selected hot topics. The 10 articles are accommodated in two parts. This series of publications starts with organophosphorus supramolecular chemistry, for which state-of-the-art progress in design and application is presented for host molecules bearing phosphate, phosphonate, phosphinate or phosphine oxide entities. The P-heterocyclic field is represented by a paper on the synthesis and conformation of 1,3,2-dioxa-, 1,3,2-oxaza-, and 1,3,2-diazaphosphorine 2-chalcogenides. This topic is also relevant from the point of view of potential biological activity, an aspect that is more directly involved in the next two articles. The first of these discusses the possible reactivation of RBC cholinesterases inhibited by paraoxon derivatives, while the other gives an overview on the synthesis of ω-phosphinyl-α-amino acids and their potential role as therapeutic agents. Remaining with tetracoordinated P-compounds, the chemistry of azidoalkyl-phosphonates, -phosphinates and -phosphine oxides, as well as the phosphorylation of α-haloimines and that of thiophenes is discussed. In the next section, the use of Wittig- and aza-Wittig reactions in the synthesis of heterocycles and the synthesis and utilization of stabilized phosphorus ylides generated from triphenylphosphine and dialkyl acetylenedicarboxylate are summarized. Finally, antiaromaticity, a newly discovered phenomenon within the framework of organophosphorus chemistry, is explored. The 3. Organophosphorus Special Issue has been divided into two parts published back to back. The five reviews included in this issue (Part II) have been preceeded by five other articles in Volume 11 (Part I). The previous papers are the following: Organophosphorus Supramolecular Chemistry. Part 2. Organophosphorus Receptors by Piotr Mlynarz, Ewa Rudzinska, Lukasz Berlicki and Pawel Kafarski 6-Membered P-Heterocycles: Ring-Condensed 1,3,2-Diheterophosphorine 2-Chalcogenides by Eva Frank and Janos Wolfling Comparison of the Ability of Pyridinium Aldoximes to Reactivate Human RBC Cholinesterases Inhibited by Ethyland Methyl-Paraoxon by Georg Petroianu and Huba Kalasz ω-Phosphinyl-α-amino Acids: Synthesis, and Development Towards Use as Therapeutic Agents by Nick J. Wardle, S. W. Annie Bligh and Harry R. Hudson Synthesis and Reactivity of Azidoalkyl-Phosphonates, -Phosphinates and -Phosphine Oxides by Anna Gajda and Tadeusz Gajda