P4 activation by Late Transition Metal Complexes

This comprehensive review summarised the coordination chemistry of late-transition metals with the white allotrope of elemental phosphorus. It describes the synthetic procedures, the most important characterization data and the known reactivity of the polyphosphorus species which form from the reaction of white phosphorus with different transition metal fragments from group 7 (Mn triad) to group 10 metals (Cu triad). Emphasis is given to the topologies of the polyphosphorus species and to their 31P-NMR spectroscopic data and metrical parameters from the analysis of the crystal data.