Surface Modification Using Phosphonic Acids and Esters

The basic work of researchers on methods for surface modification including metals and metal oxide coatings, and modification of metal nanoparticles are reviewed. The Michaelis-Arbuzov reaction, also known as the Arbuzov reaction, is one of the most versatile reactions for the formation of P-C bonds. The reaction consists of a triester phosphite with an alkyl halide, resulting in the conversion of P(III) to a pentavalent phosphorus species. Hirao et al. reported the first palladium catalyzed cross-coupling of alkyl halides with dialkyl phosphite. Another attractive route to organophosphonates reported by Tanaka and co-researchers consists of the addition of HPO3R2 to alkenes, and terminal alkynes using either palladium or rhodium-based catalysts. This atom-economic process was found to be versatile, efficient, and clean. Finally, while the gold standard for grafting photoactive or electroactive molecules on semiconductors was the use of CO2H anchors, there is now a rapidly growing interest in using PO3H2 functions.