The Structure and Spectroscopy of α-Hydroxyphosphonates

Abstract α-Hydroxyphosphonates are important intermediates in the preparation of various organophosphorus compounds. Methods for their preparation have been described.1 We now report new aspects of their structure and spectroscopy. In the solid state, O,O-dimethyl α-hydroxy-α-phenyl-β-chloroethylphosphonate has been shown by X-ray diffraction studies to consist of hydrogen-bonded dimers with a hydrosen-bond length between the phosphoryl oxygen and hydroxyl hydrogen atom of 1.74 A. The P=0 bond is relatively short (1.463).