Illustrated Glossary of Organic Chemistry

Organophosphorus compound (organophosphorus reagent): A molecule containing a carbon-phosphorus bond.

Trimethylphosphine (shown here) has three carbon-phosphorus bonds (shown in red). This molecule is an organophosphorus compound.


This nucleotide contains phosphorus in its phosphate group. However this molecule lacks a carbon-phosphorus bond and therefore it is not an organophosphorus compound.