The chemistry of Group 8 metal complexes with phosphinous acids and related P-OH ligands

Despite their inherent instability, phosphinous acids PR2OH have emerged in recent years as a useful class of P-donor ligands for homogeneous catalysis. The present review article reports on the chemistry of Group 8 metal complexes containing such ligands and related P-OH species. Synthetic methodologies, reactivity studies, as well as the involvement of these compounds in a series of catalytic transformations, are presented. Remarkably, the non-innocent role played by the PR2OH ligands in the catalytic hydration of nitriles and C-H bond arylation processes has been revealed, evidencing their cooperation with the metal (ruthenium in most of the cases) in the activation of the substrates. (C) 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.