Phosphines as Reagents and Catalysts in Organic Synthesis provides comprehensive coverage of metal-free organic reactions with phosphines as reagents or catalysts, as well as their synthetic uses. The work begins with a historical overview of the use of phosphines in metal-free organic reactions, followed by details of their physical properties and the source and preparation methods for representative phosphines and chiral variants. The applications of phosphines as reagents and catalysts in organic synthesis are discussed, along with case studies organized according to reaction type. Researchers, graduate students and undergraduates working in organic synthesis will find this work an invaluable resource.

These reactions include halogenation under Appel conditions, Wittig reaction, Staudinger reaction, Mitsunobu reaction, alcohol acylation and kinetic resolution, Rauhut-Currier reaction, Morita-Baylis-Hillman reaction, conjugate addition, umpolung additions, annulation reactions, allylic substitution, allylic amination, and isomerization reactions. For each reaction an overview of the state-of-the-art is presented along with the reaction data, enantioselective version using chiral phosphine, and its application in the synthesis of biologically active compounds and total synthesis of natural products. The work concludes with a summary that highlights the most promising reactions for future development in this field of research.