Each review within the volume critically surveys one aspect of that topic and places it within the context of the volume as a whole. The most significant developments of the last 5 to 10 years are presented using selected examples to illustrate the principles discussed. The coverage is not intended to be an exhaustive summary of the field or include large quantities of data, but should rather be conceptual, concentrating on the methodological thinking that will allow the non-specialist reader to understand the information presented. Contributions also offer an outlook on potential future developments in the field.

The Chemistry of Phosphorus

This book aims to open new fields of interest in phosphate chemistry and to suggest a new system of classification for phosphates. Due to the very rapid development of this branch of chemistry during the last thirty years and the very confusing nomenclature often used in chemical literature, this first attempt seems not only justified but necessary. The suggested classification is not revolutionary, with respect to condensed phosphates for instance, but establishes clear boundaries between some categories of compounds such as adducts and heteropolyanion-compounds. The first chapters cover the present state of phosphate chemistry in a general way and could serve as an introduction to phosphates for some categories of students or teachers. The next few chapters are devoted to more specialized topics which would be of interest to chemists, crystallographers or solid-state specialists.Some specific aspects of the crystal chemistry of phosphates, such as the geometry of the networks built by acidic phosphoric anions, for instance, are covered for the first time. The final chapter suggests some improvements for the present system of classification for phosphates.In addition, presented for the first time are the results recently obtained for the replacement of asbestos by harmless biodegradable phosphate fibers.

Filling the gap for an up-to-date reference that presents the field of organophosphorus chemistry in a comprehensive and clearly structured way, this one-stop source covers the chemistry, properties, and applications from life science and medicine. Divided into two parts, the first presents the chemistry of various phosphorus-containing compounds and their synthesis, including ylides, acids, and heterocycles. The second part then goes on to look at applications in life science and bioorganic chemistry. Last but not least, such important practical aspects as 31P-NMR and protecting strategies for these compounds are presented. For organic, bioinorganic, and medicinal chemists, as well as those working on organometallics, and for materials scientists. The book, a contributed work, features a team of renowned scientists from around the world whose expertise spans the many aspects of modern organophosphorus chemistry.

Alexander Todd, the 1957 Nobel laureate in chemistry is credited with the statement: “where there is life, there is phosphorus”. Phosphorus chemical biology underlies most of life’s reactions and processes, from the covalent bonds that hold RNA and DNA together, to the making and spending 75 kg of ATP every day, required to run almost all metabolic and mechanical events in cells. Authored by a renowned biochemist, The Chemical Biology of Phosphorus provides an in-depth, unifying chemical approach to the logic and reactivity of inorganic phosphate and its three major derivatives (anhydrides, mono- and diesters) throughout biology to examine why life depends on phosphorus. Covering the breadth of phosphorus chemistry in biology, this book is ideal for biochemistry students, postgraduates and researchers interested in the chemical logic of phosphate metabolites, energy generation, biopolymer accumulation and phosphoproteomics.