Talk:Organophosphorus chemistry

delta points to sigma
Why is that? Is that a mistake? --Kupirijo 22:26, 29 March 2007 (UTC)
 * Changed it. --Akiyume (talk) 15:41, 6 December 2018 (UTC)

Suggested re-organization of article
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.

--Smokefoot (talk) 00:06, 29 March 2009 (UTC)

coordination of phosphine oxides
In the text it says "Phosphine oxides (designation δ3λ3)". Is this correct? Shouldn't it be δ4λ5? --kupirijo (talk) 00:25, 9 March 2011 (UTC)
 * It was wrong indeed. I changed it. --Akiyume (talk) 15:16, 6 December 2018 (UTC)

Missing information
Why no discussion re bond lengths? Or differences in bond lengths? Swfowkes (talk) 00:19, 31 October 2012 (UTC)
 * Because we are waiting for editors like you to contribute! Try it.  --Smokefoot (talk) 02:27, 31 October 2012 (UTC)

potential ambiguity in definition
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)
 * 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)
 * Good points. I'll think about a little bit more about it before making an edit. Alsosaid1987 (talk) 00:29, 29 January 2021 (UTC)