H-Phosphonylphosphonate triethylester: the first member of a novel family of stable bisphosphorylated compounds; its short synthesis and reactivity with aldehydes

A short preparation of the first member (1) of the novel H-phosphonylphosphonate family is described. Its reaction with aldehydes provides a straightforward access to the hitherto almost unprecedented class of α-hydroxyphosphinylphosphonates 3 of potential value in particular in medicinal chemistry.