THE MECHANISM OF THE REACTION OF ORGANIC PHOSPHITES WITH TRIALKYLSILYL IODIDE. IODOANHYDRIDES OF PIII ACIDS AS INTERMEDIATES

Article abstract of DOI:10.1016/S0022-328X(00)92612-3

The reaction of a trialkyl phosphite with trimethylsilyl iodide, which leads to O-trimethylsilylesters of alkylphosphonic acid, has been shown to involve several steps, all of which are defined.The first step is the formation of the iodophosphite, involving a four centre mechanism in which P^III plays the role of electrophile.This is in contrast to the analogous reaction of phosphites with alkyl halides (the Arbuzov reaction) which begins with nucleophilic attack of the phosphorus.