Recent developments in the chemistry of metallophosphaalkenes

The chemistry of low-valent organophosphorus compounds such as phosphaalkenes has undergone rapid development in the last three decades. These developments also include the organometallic and coordination chemistry of such species. Metallophosphaalkenes are compounds in which one or more of the organic substituents on the PC unit are replaced by metal fragments. P- and C-metallophosphaalkenes have emerged from laboratory curiosities to versatile and useful synthons in organoelement chemistry. Particular examples are C-lithiophosphaalkenes and C-magnesiophosphaalkenes (phospha-Grignard reagents).