Overview on the phosphonation of the C=X functional groups utilizing alkyl phosphites

The main objective of this survey is to provide a comprehensive review of recent achievements related to the phosphonation processes, applying alkyl phosphites and different electrophiles (C˭X, X: O, N, or C). The review discusses the important reactions of trialkyl and dialkyl phosphite reagents with a variety of aldehydes, ketones, aldimines, ketimines, hydrazones, oximes, diazo compounds, thio- and isocyanates as well as activated olefins as a convenient methodology for the synthesis of biologically important α-hydroxy- and α-aminophosphonates as well as heterocycles containing phosphorus and substituted heterocyclic phosphor esters. We are herein concentrating only on reactions that lead to phosphorylated products as they represent a vast and important research area of interest for academic, as well as for industrial, pharmaceutical and phytopharmaceutical chemists. The literature survey has been fully covered up by our group and others over the last 25 years.