page_title: Phosphite ester
section_title: Chemistry of HP(O)(OR)2
hierarchical_section_title: Phosphite ester / Chemistry of HP(O)(OR)2
caption_attribution_description: English: Chemical structure of diethylphosphite
context_page_description: In chemistry a phosphite ester or organophosphite usually refers to an organophosphorous compound with the formula P(OR)₃. They can be considered as esters of an unobserved tautomer phosphorous acid, H₃PO₃, with the simplest example being trimethylphosphite, P(OCH₃)₃. Some phosphites can be considered esters of the dominant tautomer of phosphorous acid. The simplest representative is dimethylphosphite with the formula HP(OCH₃)₂. Both classes of phosphites are usually colorless liquids.
context_section_description: Diorganophosphites are derivatives of phosphorus(V) and can be viewed as the di-esters of phosphorous acid. They exhibit tautomerism, however the equilibrium overwhelmingly favours the right-hand (phosphonate-like) form:
  (RO)₂POH ⇌ (RO)₂P(O)H
  The P-H bond is the site of high reactivity in these compounds (for example in the Atherton–Todd reaction), whereas in tri-organophosphites the lone pair on phosphorus is the site of high reactivity. Diorganophosphites do however undergo transesterification.
caption: Structure of a diorganophosphite.
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