PREPARATION OF ENANTIOMERICALLY PURE TERTIARY PHOSPHINE OXIDES FROM, AND ASSAY OF ENANTIOMERIC PURITY WITH, (R(P))-TERT-BUTYLPHENYLPHOSPHINOTHIOIC AND (S-P)-TERT-BUTYLPHENYLPHOSPHINOTHIOIC ACIDS

A convenient multigram scale method has been developed for preparation of enantiomerically-pure (R(p))- and (S-p)-tertiary phosphine oxides including allyl- and but-2-enyl-tert-butylphenylphosphine oxides where in (R(p))- and (S-p)-tert-butyl-phenylphosphinothioic acids are conver ted into (R(p))- and (S-p)-tert-butylphenylphosphine oxides by ultraso und irradiation in the presence of Raney-Ni at room temperature and th e secondary phosphine oxides then metalated and treated with alkyl hal ides.