University Chemistry ›› 2025, Vol. 40 ›› Issue (8): 138-151.doi: 10.12461/PKU.DXHX202409144

Special Issue:

• Survey of Chemistry • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Recent Advances in Low-Coordinated Phosphorus-Containing Functional Groups

Wen Jiang, Jieli Lin, Zhongshu Li   

  1. School of Chemistry, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China
  • Received:2024-09-30 Accepted:2024-12-26 Published:2025-07-19
  • Contact: Zhongshu Li E-mail:lizhsh6@mail.sysu.edu.cn

Abstract: Functional groups are essential molecular building blocks that govern the physicochemical properties of molecules. The study of their structure, properties, and functions is central to synthetic chemistry, forming the foundation of modern synthetic chemistry theories. In the pursuit of discovering and creating new substances, the design and development of novel functional groups is of particular importance. With advancements in synthetic technology, new functional groups containing main-group elements such as phosphorus (P), boron (B), sulfur (S), and silicon (Si) have been reported. According to the diagonal rule, phosphorus-containing functional groups can exhibit properties similar to their carbon-containing counterparts. Moreover, the introduction of phosphorus atoms can further modulate the steric and electronic properties of these groups, revealing distinctive physicochemical characteristics and broad application potential. This review summarizes recent developments in low-coordinated phosphorus-containing functional groups, such as phosphaalkynes, diphosphorus compounds, phosphinidenes, phosphaalkenes, diphosphenes, and phosphinines, and discusses the future directions for research in this field.

Key words: Phosphorus-containing functional groups, Diagonal rule, Organophosphorus, Low-coordinated phosphorus