White phosphorus may be alkylated with other alkyl chlorides. For example, in the presence of aluminum chloride the elemental phosphorus was entirely consumed upon the addition of 1.5 moles of either isopropyl, n-butyl, cyclohexyl, or n-octyl chlorides. The mass spectra of the crude acid hydrolysis products showed significant peaks at the m/e of the corresponding phosphinic acids since these phosphinic halides, if formed, would be destroyed by the ...
