Developments in the chemistry of tris(hydroxymethyl)phosphine

摘要: Abstract Tris(hydroxymethyl)phosphine, P(CH2OH)3, a water-soluble compound, has been known for about 50 years but development of its coordination chemistry slow and relatively recent. During some collaborative studies with pulp paper research institute on testing catalysts hydrogenation lignin in the unsaturated functionalities model compounds, aim bleaching pulps, we discovered new, situ, Ru-P(CH2OH)3 catalysts. Interest this phosphine thus ensued, review covers topic as well diphosphine analogue, bis[bis(hydroxymethyl)phosphino]ethane, (HOCH2)2P(CH2)2P(CH2OH)2. The applications metal complexes these two phosphines areas catalysis medicinal drugs are also described. These phosphines, absence metals, were found serendipitously to be effective agents pulps (and brightness stabilizing agents), relevant organo-phosphorus from our group is briefly presented, particularly because possible significance hydroformylation processes catalyzed by metal–phosphine complexes.