Microwave-Assisted Organophosphorus Synthesis

The spread of microwave (MW) equipment has brought about a tremendous development in synthetic organic chemistry. This environmentally friendly methodology, associated often with solventless conditions, has also had a positive impact on organophosphorus chemistry, allowing new reactions to be carried out, or increasing the rate, selectivity and yield. In special cases, MW irradiation may replace phase transfer or other kinds of catalysts. Reactions, such as the derivatization of phosphinic acids, the inverse Wittig protocol, Diels– Alder cycloadditions, fragmentation-related phosphorylations, phospha-Michael additions, Kabachnik–Fields condensations, the addition of >P(O)H species to carbonyl compounds, substitution of α-hydroxyphosphonates, alkylation of CH-acidic compounds, C–P couplings, Arbuzov reactions and transesterifications served as model reactions under MW conditions.