Phosphonic acids acidity

Considering the inherent uncertainties in the experimental values, this result provides a strong method for estimation of phosphonic acid acidities. 

Phosphonic acid, H3PO3, often called just phosphorous acid , is prepared by the hydrolysis of phosphorus trichloride a stream of air containing phosphorus trichloride vapour is passed into ice-cold water, and crystals of the solid acid separate ... 

HP(0)(0H)2 Phosphonic acid HP(0)d Phosphonoyl-—PiOfOHj Phosphono- Phosphonate... 

HNCO isocyanic acid H2PHO3 phosphonic acid... 

Phosphoric acid, monoalkyl phosphates, and phosphonic acids, but not dialkyl phosphates (107), can be aminoalkylated on the oxygen (108—110). 

R2HP03 0 II H—P—OR phosphonate ester (phosphite) phosphonic acid, mono- and diesters exist... 

This reaction is catalyzed by hydrogen chloride and yields can be essentially quantitative when using either free phosphonic acid or its diesters. The flame retardant, Eyrol 6, produced by Akzo Chemicals, Inc. and used for rigid urethane foams, is synthesized as follows (24). 

The reaction of phosphoms trichloride and water is highly exothermic and vigorous. Depending on the mole ratio of H2O/PCl, three different products can result from hydrolysis. If the ratio is greater than 3, phosphonic acid is produced ... 

Uses. The largest usage of PCl is to produce phosphonic acid, H PO, which in reaction with iminodiacetic acid and formaldehyde forms a glyphosate intermediate that is decarboxymethylated to glyphosate, an effective nonselective herbicide (see Herbicides). Phosphoms trichloride is also a convenient chlorinating reagent for producing various acyl and alkyl chlorides. 

All phosphoms oxides are obtained by direct oxidation of phosphoms, but only phosphoms(V) oxide is produced commercially. This is in part because of the stabiUty of phosphoms pentoxide and the tendency for the intermediate oxidation states to undergo disproportionation to mixtures. Besides the oxides mentioned above, other lower oxides of phosphoms can be formed but which are poorly understood. These are commonly termed lower oxides of phosphoms (LOOPs) and are mixtures of usually water-insoluble, yeUow-to-orange, and poorly characteri2ed polymers (58). LOOPs are often formed as a disproportionation by-product in a number of reactions, eg, in combustion of phosphoms with an inadequate air supply, in hydrolysis of a phosphoms trihahde with less than a stoichiometric amount of water, and in various reactions of phosphoms haUdes or phosphonic acid. LOOPs appear to have a backbone of phosphoms atoms having —OH, =0, and —H pendent groups and is often represented by an approximate formula, (P OH). LOOPs may either hydroly2e slowly, be pyrophoric, or pyroly2e rapidly and yield diphosphine-contaminated phosphine. LOOP can also decompose explosively in the presence of moisture and air near 150° C. 

Phosphorus(III) Oxide. Phosphoms(III) oxide [12440-00-5] the anhydride of phosphonic acid, is formed along with by-products such as phosphoms pentoxide and red phosphoms when phosphoms is burned with less than stoichiometric amounts of oxygen (62). Phosphoms(III) oxide is a poisonous, white, wax-like, crystalline material, which has a melting point of 23.8°C and a boiling point of 175.3°C. When added to hot water, phosphoms(III) oxide reacts violentiy and forms phosphine, phosphoric acid, and red phosphoms. Even in cold water, disproportionation maybe observed if the oxide is not well agitated, resulting in the formation of phosphoric acid and yellow or orange poorly defined polymeric lower oxides of phosphoms (LOOP). 

Phosphonic Acid and P(III) Derivatives. Phosphonic or phosphorous acid is a white dehquescent crystalline compound having a melting point of 73.6°C. As evidenced by its stmcture,HP(=0)(0H)2, phosphonic acid is dibasic. The first hydrogen is strongly ionized, pR 1.3—1.7, and... 

Phosphonic acid is prepared by the dissolution of phosphoms(III) oxide or by the hydrolysis of phosphoms trichloride ... 

This reaction can be violent partiy because of the heat Hberated in the solvation of the hydrogen chloride. The hydrolysis can be moderated by adding PCl to a saturated solution of HCI Subsequentiy, the water and hydrogen chloride are boiled until the temperature reaches 180°C. On cooling, phosphonic acid crystallizes from the melt. 

Additional phosphonic acid is derived from by-product streams. In the manufacture of acid chlorides from carboxyUc acids and PCl, phosphonic acid or pyrophosphonic acid is produced, frequentiy with copious quantities of yellow polymeric LOOP. Such mixtures slowly evolve phosphine, particularly on heating, and formerly were a disposal problem. However, purification of this cmde mixture affords commercial phosphonic acid. By-product acid is also derived from the precipitate of calcium salts in the manufacture of phosphinic acid. As a consequence of the treatments of the salt with sulfuric acid, carbonate is Hberated as CO2 and phosphonic acid goes into solution. 

Typical speciftcations of technical-grade phosphonic acid are given in Table 12. Because disposal of the by-product hydrochloric acid poses problems, several attempts have been made to produce phosphonic acid by a nonhalide route however, so far none of these efforts have been translated into an industrial process. 

Phosphonic acid and hydrogen phosphonates are used as strong but slow-acting reducing agents. They cause precipitation of heavy metals from solutions of their salts and reduce sulfur dioxide to sulfur, and iodine to iodide in neutral or alkaline solution. 

The dimer of phosphonic acid, diphosphonic acid [36465-90-4] (pyrophosphoms acid), H4P2O3, is formed by the reaction of phosphoms trichloride and phosphonic acid in the ratio of 1 5. It is also formed by the thermal decomposition of phosphonic acid. Unlike the chemistry of phosphoric acid, thermal dehydration does not lead to polymers beyond the dimer extended dehydration leads to a disproportionation to condensed forms of phosphoric acid, such as [2466-09-3] and phosphine. 

Phosphonic acid is an intermediate in the production of alkylphosphonates that are used as herbicides and as water treatment chemicals for sequestration, scale inhibition, deflocculation, and ion-control agents in oil weUs, cooling tower waters, and boiler feed waters. For example, aqueous phosphonic acid reacts with formaldehyde and ammonium chloride in the presence of hydrochloric acid to yield aminotri(methylenephosphonic acid) [6419-19-8]. 

Monoesters of the phosphonic acids are Httle used in industry. The diesters, 0=PR(0R)2, of phosphonic acid are commonly prepared in industry from trialkyl phosphites in a MichaeUs-Arbusov reaction ... 

Trialkyl esters of phosphonic acid exist ia two structurally isomeric forms. The trialkylphosphites, P(OR)2, are isomers of the more stable phosphonates, 0=PR(0R)2, and the former may be rearranged to resemble the latter with catalytic quantities of alkylating agent. The dialkyl alkylphosphonates are used as flame retardants, plasticizers, and iatermediates. The MichaeUs-Arbusov reaction may be used for a variety of compound types, including mono- and diphosphites having aryl as weU as alkyl substituents (22). Triaryl phosphites do not readily undergo the MichaeUs-Arbusov reaction, although there are a few special cases. 

Phosphinic Acid. Phosphinic acid (hypophosphoms acid) is a dehquescent crystalline soHd that melts at 26.5°C. It is a monobasic acid having a piC of 2.1 and the metal salts of which generally exhibit a high solubiUty. Phosphinic acid disproportionates upon heating above 133°C to generate phosphoric and phosphonic acids, hydrogen, and phosphine. 

Preparation and Properties of Organophosphines. AUphatic phosphines can be gases, volatile Hquids, or oils. Aromatic phosphines frequentiy are crystalline, although many are oils. Some physical properties are Hsted in Table 14. The most characteristic chemical properties of phosphines include their susceptabiUty to oxidation and their nucleophilicity. The most common derivatives of the phosphines include halophosphines, phosphine oxides, metal complexes of phosphines, and phosphonium salts. Phosphines are also raw materials in the preparation of derivatives, ie, derivatives of the isomers phosphinic acid, HP(OH)2, and phosphonous acid, H2P(=0)0H. 

Piimaiy phosphines are oxidized as intermediates in the syntheses of phosphonic acids and phosphonates. 

Organophosphoms compounds, primarily phosphonic acids, are used as sequestrants, scale inhibitors, deflocculants, or ion-control agents in oil wells, cooling-tower waters, and boiler-feed waters. Organophosphates are also used as plasticizers and flame retardants in plastics and elastomers, which accounted for 22% of PCl consumed. Phosphites, in conjunction with Hquid mixed metals, such as calcium—zinc and barium—cadmium heat stabilizers, function as antioxidants and stabilizer adjutants. In 1992, such phosphoms-based chemicals amounted to slightly more than 6% of all such plastic additives and represented 8500 t of phosphoms. Because PVC production is expected to increase, the use of phosphoms additive should increase 3% aimually through 1999. 

Phosphonic (phosphorous) acid, produced by hydrolysis of PCl, is for the most part consumed captively. It has also been offered as a flaked product and a 70 wt % solution by Rhc ne-Poulenc. Phosphonic acid is a by-product from manufacturing carboxyHc acid chlorides and alkaH peroxides. Additional by-product phosphonic acid is recovered in the manufacture of phosphinic acid. 

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