s Potential and Scope of Microwave Heating: A Case Study on the Synthesis of Phosphinates

Microwave (MW) irradiation has had a positive impact also on organophosphorus chemistry. This is demonstrated in this minireview via the synthesis of phosphinates from phosphinic acids. The scope and limitations of the use of the MW technique, along with the modeling of the distribution of the beneficial effect of the local overheatings and the prediction of the acceleration is discussed. All these are possible on the basis of the energetics calculated for a selected esterification by quantum chemical methods. The model reaction of this study is the esterification of 1-hydroxy-3-methyl-3- phospholene 1-oxide with butanol.