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This topic is large and complex but it might be worthwhile trying to reorganize it so that it emphasized the most significant species and distributed space vaguely in proportion to the "real world." One possible outline for the article:
Phosphorus(V) species:
phosphine oxide (OPR3);
phosphinate (OP(OR)R2);
phosphonate (OP(OR)2R);
Phosphate (OP(OR)3) (brief, since these are not really organophosphorus - or should we not worry about that formality?);
phosphonium salts.
Phosphorus(III) species:
phosphine (PH2-nRn, including PM2-nRn where M = Li, Na);
phosphinites (P(OR)R2);
phosphonite (P(OR)2R); brief mention of
phosphites (P(OR)3) (brief since these are not really organophosphorus - or again should we not worry about that formality?)
Phosphorus(I) species: mainly (PR)n and RP=PR
Other mixed valence species (a potentially sprawling theme, which could get large)
for each of the above sections, we could include something on "related species," e.g. PXR2, X = NR2, Cl; and EPR3 (E = S, NR)
for each of the sections above we could include subsections on "synthesis," "applications," and possibly "new developments" (to cover the researchy themes in the current article). Editors are welcome to disagree with the above or whatever.
In technical usage, organoelement chemistry refers to the chemistry of compounds containing an element-carbon bond. Thus, organophosphorus chemistry will consist of the chemistry of phosphines, phosphonates, chlorophosphines, etc., but will exclude organic phosphates, phosphites, phosphoramidites, etc. because they do not contain a C-P bond. There should be a distinction between organophosphate and organophosphorus. However, the layman usage has conflated these two terms. I suggest that a note be made that, in certain technical contexts, organophosphorus compounds only refers to compounds containing a C-P bond. The same issue exists for the organosulfur compound page.
Alsosaid1987 (
talk)
16:52, 28 January 2021 (UTC)reply
You are welcome to try out such an explanatory statement. The catch is this: the layman will not know what you are talking about, and the specialists dont need the remark. Your worry pervades many articles, as you are aware. E.g. are metal carbonyls organometallic, is Wilkinson's catalyst a topic in organometallic chemistry, etc. --
Smokefoot (
talk)
20:37, 28 January 2021 (UTC)reply