Tetraethyl pyrophosphite

clear colorless liquid

The product can be used as a reagent for peptide synthesis.

Tetraethyl Pyrophosphite is used as a reagent in the preparation of peptides and in the phosphonylation of carbonyl compounds.

Tetraethyl pyrophosphite can be used in peptide synthesis; phosphonylation of ketones, aldehydes, and perfluoroalkyl iodides.

The most convenient method involves the reaction of diethyl phosphite with diethyl  phosphorochloridite. Diethyl phosphorochloridite (223 g) is added rapidly to a solution of diethyl phosphite (138 g) and  triethylamine (101 g) in benzene (200 ml). The mixture is filtered and the benzene removed by distillation at reduced  pressure. The product is isolated by further distillation at reduced pressure (79-81 °C/0.15 mmHg) in 41% yield.