Triphenylphosphine, CAS No.: 603-35-0, molecular formula: C18H15P, is a basic raw material for rhodium-phosphine complex catalysts and has wide applications in the domestic petrochemical industry. Triphenylphosphine is also used in the pharmaceutical industry, organic synthesis, and analysis. It can also be used as a brightening agent in dye processes, an antioxidant in polymer polymerization, a stabilizer in color film development, and an analytical reagent.

Triphenylphosphine is prepared as a Grignard reagent under dry inert gas using 34.1 g (0.22 mol) of bromobenzene, 5.2 g (0.21 g) of atomic magnesium, and 108 mL of anhydrous diethyl ether. The resulting phenylmagnesium bromide is stored under inert gas, stirred, and cooled in an ice bath. 6.0 g (0.044 mol) of phosphorus trichloride and 35 mL of diethyl ether solution are slowly added (15-20 minutes). The mixture is slowly treated with a solution of 11 mL concentrated hydrochloric acid and 30 mL of water. The ether layer is separated, and the aqueous layer is extracted with diethyl ether. After the ether solutions were combined, they were distilled under hydrogen at atmospheric pressure until the temperature of the residue in the distillation vessel reached 285°C. The residue was recrystallized twice with ethanol to obtain 8.7 g (76%) of white triphenylphosphine with a melting point of 79.5°C.