Zinc-Catalyzed Phosphonylation of Alcohols with Alkyl Phosphites.

In the presence of a catalytic amount of either Zn(acac)2 or bis(2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-3,5-heptanedionato)zinc(II) (Zn(TMHD)2), primary, secondary, and tertiary alcohol substituents on a wide range of substrates, including acyclic and cyclic structures, carbohydrates, steroids, and amino acids, reacted with dimethyl phosphite to afford the corresponding H-phosphonate diesters in high to excellent yields.