Light/air-induced direct oxyphosphinylation of terminal alkynes with diarylphosphine oxides toward -ketophosphine oxides

A clean and direct aerobic oxyphosphorylation of terminal alkynes with dialkylphosphine oxides has been developed using only visible light and air at room temperature. The method provides a highly simple, efficient, economic and environmental-friendly approach to prepare valuable beta-ketophosphine oxides in satisfactory yields. Control experiments revealed that the O-2 can initiate phosphinoyl radicals through single electron transfer (SET) oxidative activation with the synergistic role of light.