Trialkylphosphines can be oxidized with either hydrogen peroxide
or elemental sulfur to form the corresponding
trialkylphosphineoxides or sulfides. They are marketed under the
CYANEX®
trade name (see Table) where the traditional
application for this class of products has been for solvent
extraction – either for metals or acidic organic
compounds such as carboxylic acids, phenols or even alcohols.
They can also be used as plasticizers, or solvents in the
manufacture of nano-particles as described under “Functional
Applications of Alkylphosphine Derivatives”.
