Organocatalytic Asymmetric Synthesis of Chiral Phosphonates

Chiral phosphonates find many applications in medicine, agriculture, materials science and also in organic synthesis. The rapid growth of asymmetric organocatalysis in the last decade has sparkled the interest of organophosphorus chemists, and a wealth of new methodologies to obtain chiral phosphonic acid derivatives has been developed in recent years. This review surveys the last five years, and it includes methodology to synthesize hydroxyphosphonates, aminophosphonates, asymmetric aldol reactions and Michael addition reactions, cycloadditions and domino processes, as well as applications in target-oriented synthesis involving the Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons olefination reaction and the use of chiral phosphonates as acylating agents.