A one-pot synthesis of a branched tertiary phosphine oxide from red phosphorus and 1-(tert-butyl)-4-vinylbenzene in KOH–DMSO: an unusually facile addition of P-centered nucleophiles to a weakly electrophilic double bond

Red phosphorus reacts with 1-(tert-butyl)-4-vinylbenzene in a superbase media (KOH–DMSO, 90–100 °C, 3 h) to give tris[4-(tert-butyl)phenethyl]phosphine oxide in 77% yield. Microwave activation of the reaction affords the phosphine oxide in 82% yield in 6 min.