Bismuth(III) chloride-catalyzed three-component coupling: Synthesis of alpha-amino phosphonates

A simple and efficient method has been developed for the one-pot synthesis of alpha-amino phosphonates from the reaction of a carbonyl compound, amine, and dialkyl phosphite. The highly catalytic nature of bismuth(III) chloride and the fact that it is relatively nontoxic, low cost, easy to handle, and insensitive to small amounts of air and moisture make this method especially attractive for large-scale synthesis.