Quaternary phosphonium salts in the synthetic chemistry: Recent progress, development, and future perspectives

• The synthesis and characterization of quaternary phosphonium salts in synthetic chemistry have been discussed. • The applications of quaternary phosphonium salts as homogeneous and heterogeneous catalyzes have also been summarized. • The use of the quaternary phosphonium salts as efficient organocatalysts in the enantioselective processes is carefully reviewed. • Wide biological activity of quaternary phosphonium salts in pharmacological, disinfectants, agriculture, corrosion inhibitors and also in natural materials have been reported. Progress a chemical reaction through catalysis is a privileged approach that includes almost 95% (in volume) of all of the usual chemical compounds. Therefore investigation about high efficient catalysts is an attractive and very prosperous research area. In this regard, quaternary phosphonium salts have gained considerable attention as catalysts in many chemical transformations and synthetic chemistry. In this review, recently important advances on the properties, synthesis, and applications of quaternary phosphonium salts in both homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis forms are summarized. We also discussed the asymmetric phosphonium salts in a wide range of applications in phase-transfer catalysis into enantioselective organic reaction. Quaternary phosphonium salts (QPS) exhibit high-efficient and the wide spectrum of biological activity. In this review, the properties, synthesis, and applications of quaternary phosphonium salts as efficient homogeneous and heterogeneous catalyses in many chemical transformations in the last decade have been discussed. Moreover, the properties of asymmetric phosphonium salts, as privilege phase-transfer catalysts in enantioselective organic reaction, have been considered.