A Green and Facile Method for the Synthesis of Substituted 1,2-Epoxy Ethylgembisphosphonates and their Symmetrical Dibutylammmonium Salts

In this paper we report a convenient and environmentally friendly method for the synthesis of substituted 1,2-epoxy ethylgembisphosphonates using hydrogen peroxide in methanol-water solvent system. This reaction allows easy access to the desired epoxy bisphosphonates in good to excellent yields. It can also be scaled up easily since it requires small amounts of solvents and there are no by-products. The epoxy bisphosphonates were dealkylated with dibutylamine under solvent-free conditions to give novel symmetrical dibutylammonium diethyl (oxirane-2,2-diyl)bisphosphonate salts.