Phosphorous esters of cyanohydrins

Compounds of the formula:

• ##STR24## wherein X is O or S;
• R and R.sub.1 are the same or different and are independently hydrogen, lower alkyl (C.sub.1 -C.sub.15), whereby C.sub.3 -C.sub.15 can be branched or unbranched, and wherein the alkyl chain can be substituted or unsubstituted with alkylthio, alkoxy, or one or more halo;
• cycloalkyl (C.sub.3 -C.sub.8), alkenyl, phenyl, benzyl, pyridinyl, naphthalene, all of which may be optionally substituted with one or more halogen, nitro, cyano, allyloxy trihalomethyl, alkyl, alkylthio, alkoxy, or aryloxy, aryloxy alkyl, which can be further substituted with alkoxy, halogen, alkyl, or trihalomethyl groups;
• taken together R and R.sub.1 may form a 5 or 6 membered carbocyclic ring,
• R.sub.2 and R.sub.3 can be the same or different and are independently:
• (a) alkylthio (C.sub.1 -C.sub.8), and
• (b) alkoxy (C.sub.1 -C.sub.8) with the proviso that R.sub.2 and R.sub.3 may not be alkoxy at the same time.