Triphenyl phosphite


Triphenyl phosphite is the chemical compound with the formula P3. This colourless viscous liquid is the ester of phosphorous acid and phenol. It is used as a ligand in organometallic chemistry. Nickel complexes of this ligand are homogeneous catalysts for the hydrocyanation of alkenes.
Triphenylphosphite is prepared from phosphorus trichloride and phenol in the presence of a base:
Trimethylphosphine is prepared from triphenylphosphite:
Triphenylphosphite is a notable example of polyamorphism in organic compounds, namely it exists in two different amorphous forms at temperatures about 200 K. Not long ago a new long-awaited polymorphic modification of triphenyl phosphite was obtained by means of crystallization in ionic liquids

Representative coordination complexes

Triphenylphosphite forms zero-valent complexes of the type M4 for M = Ni, Pd, Pt. The colourless nickel complex can be prepared from the nickel complex of cycloocta-1,5-diene:
It also forms a variety of Fe and Fe complexes such as the dihydride H2Fe4.