Preparation of phosphoric acid propargyl esters

Abstract

A process for the preparation of a phosphoric acid propargyl ester of the formula ##STR1## wherein R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 each independently is an aryl radical or a C.sub.1-4 -alkyl, C.sub.1-4 -alkenyl or C.sub.1-4 -alkynyl radical, and X, Y and Z each independently is oxygen or sulphur, comprising reacting a phosphoric acid monoester chloride or diester chloride with at least the equivalent amount of propargyl alcohol in a two-phase system in the presence of an inorganic base as an acid-trapping agent, and a catalyst comprising about 0.001 to 100 mol %, relative to the phosphoric acid ester chloride, of a tertiary amine or quaternary ammonium or phosphonium salt with at least 9 C atoms. Advantageously the catalyst is present in about 0.01 to 10 mol % relative to the phosphoric acid ester chloride and is a tertiary amine or quaternary ammonium salt, X, Y and Z are oxygen, R.sup.1 is propargyl and R.sup.2 is C.sub.1-4 -alkyl, the reaction is effected in the presence of methylene chloride, chloroform or toluene as solvent, the base is used in at least the equivalent amount and is selected from the group consisting of alkali metal hydroxides, alkaline earth metal hydroxides, alkali metal carbonates and alkaline earth metal carbonates.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.