Abstract
Although carbon is often considered as the dominant element in terms of covalent bond formation, phosphorus can undoubtedly be considered a s a serious competitor for this position [1]. Further, at least in principle, phosphorus is potentially capable of forming more compounds than carbon. For a variety of reasons, both academic and practical, interest in phosphorus compounds has increased markedly over the last decade. It is not unexpected, then, to find that the use of compounds of phosphorus as catalysts has also accelerated. Unfortunately, a s is often the case in science, the practice outruns the theory with such catalysts, but industrialists and academicians alike have recently displayed an enhanced interest in the mechanisms of catalytic activity on such catalysts.