Alan Herbert Cowley. 29 January 1934—2 August 2020

Alan Cowley was one of the most creative main group chemists of his generation, and had a central role in what was often described as the renaissance of main group chemistry. Throughout his career Alan always had an eye for what was new. In his early years as an independent researcher, Alan made many fundamental contributions to the chemistry of phosphorus, not only in terms of the synthesis of new compounds but also in their study by employing novel analytical and computational methods. Starting in the 1980s he was at the forefront of emerging research into low-coordinate phosphorus chemistry and made seminal contributions in the areas of multiply bonded species, such as phosphenium ions and diphosphenes, as well as in the transition metal coordination chemistry of phosphinidenes. In the second half of his career, Alan also turned his attention to the study of single source precursors for important solid-state electronic materials, many of which were far superior to known examples. In all of the many areas in which Alan worked, he was a great collaborator with colleagues and researchers across the world, both in chemistry and in other disciplines. This was made all the easier by Alan's charm and easy-going nature, which was also manifest in the interactions he had with his many group members over a period of almost half a century. Alan was a gentleman in every sense and is much missed by friends, colleagues, collaborators and family.

Nickel Complexes in C‒P Bond Formation

This review is a comprehensive account of reactions with the participation of nickel complexes that result in the formation of carbon–phosphorus (C‒P) bonds. The catalytic and non-catalytic reactions with the participation of nickel complexes as the catalysts and the reagents are described. The various classes of starting compounds and the products formed are discussed individually. The several putative mechanisms of the nickel catalysed reactions are also included, thereby providing insights into both the synthetic and the mechanistic aspects of this phosphorus chemistry.

Excited-State Engineering of Oligothiophenes via Phosphorus Chemistry towards Strong Fluorescent Materials

Due to the efficient intersystem crossing (ISC), combined with efficient non-radiative processes of the triplet excited state, oligothiophenes generally exhibit very weak photoluminescence. Phosphorus (P)-bridged terthiophenes (P-terThs) and phosphorus (P)-bridged...

Shining Light on the Light-Bearing Element: A Brief Review of Photomediated C–H Phosphorylation Reactions

Organophosphorus compounds have numerous useful applications, from versatile ligands and nucleophiles in the case of trivalent organophosphorus species to therapeutics, agrochemicals and material additives for pentavalent species. Although phosphorus chemistry is a fairly mature field, the construction of C–P(V) bonds relies heavily on either prefunctionalized substrates such as alkyl or aryl halides, or requires previously oxidized bonds such as C=N or C=O, leading to potential sustainability issues when looking at the overall synthetic route. In light of the recent advances in photochemistry, using photons as a reagent can provide better alternatives for phosphorylations by unlocking radical mechanisms and providing interesting redox pathways. This review will showcase the different photomediated phosphorylation procedures available for converting C–H bonds into C–P(V) bonds.1 Introduction1.1 Organophosphorus Compounds1.2 Phosphorylation: Construction of C–P(V) Bonds1.3 Photochemistry as an Alternative to Classical Phosphorylations2 Ionic Mechanisms Involving Nucleophilic Additions3 Mechanisms Involving Radical Intermediates3.1 Mechanisms Involving Reactive Carbon Radicals3.2 Mechanisms Involving Phosphorus Radicals3.2.1 Photoredox: Direct Creation of Phosphorus Radicals3.2.2 Photoredox: Indirect Creation of Phosphorus Radicals3.2.3 Dual Catalysis3.3 Photolytic Cleavage4 Conclusion and Outlook