Alkyl phosphites, transition metal complexes

The complex of tartaric acid and antimony (emetic) was described three centuries ago. Nevertheless, the structure of this compound has been elucidated these last fifteen years by X-ray diffraction ( 1 ). In fact, emetic presents a binuclear cyclic structure. Many authors mentioned similar complex with transition metals (vanadium (2), chromium (3)) or metalloids (arsenic (4), bismuth (5)). Emetic with phosphorus was not mentioned. Nevertheless, tartaric acid or alkyl tartrates has been utilized in phosphorus chemistry tartaric acid reacts with trialkyl phosphites giving heterocyclic phosphites (6). Starting from alkyl tartrates, we prepared spirophosphoranes with a P-H bond and sixco-ordinated compounds (7). With unprotected tartaric acid, many possibilities appear condensation as a diol, as a di(oc-hydro-xyacid), or even as a 8-hydroxyacid. 

---