Alkyl phosphates belong to a group of

organic compound Some chemical authorities define an organic compound as a chemical compound that contains a carbon–hydrogen or carbon–carbon bond; others consider an organic compound to be any chemical compound that contains carbon. For example, carbon-co ...

s called

organophosphate In organic chemistry, organophosphates (also known as phosphate esters, or OPEs) are a class of organophosphorus compounds with the general structure , a central phosphate molecule with alkyl or aromatic substituents. They can be considered ...

s. They are

ester In chemistry, an ester is a compound derived from an acid (either organic or inorganic) in which the hydrogen atom (H) of at least one acidic hydroxyl group () of that acid is replaced by an organyl group (R). These compounds contain a distin ...

s of

phosphoric acid Phosphoric acid (orthophosphoric acid, monophosphoric acid or phosphoric(V) acid) is a colorless, odorless phosphorus-containing solid, and inorganic compound with the chemical formula . It is commonly encountered as an 85% aqueous solution, ...

H₃PO₄ and corresponding

alcohol Alcohol may refer to: Common uses * Alcohol (chemistry), a class of compounds * Ethanol, one of several alcohols, commonly known as alcohol in everyday life ** Alcohol (drug), intoxicant found in alcoholic beverages ** Alcoholic beverage, an alco ...

. For example, the formula of methyl phosphate is CH₃-H₂PO₄, dimethyl phosphate – (CH₃)₂HPO₄ and trimethyl phosphate – (CH₃)₃PO₄. Alkyl phosphates are widely distributed in nature, and form the basis of most biological processes. For example, high energy metabolites such as ATP and PEP are alkyl phosphates, as are nucleic acids such as

DNA Deoxyribonucleic acid (; DNA) is a polymer composed of two polynucleotide chains that coil around each other to form a double helix. The polymer carries genetic instructions for the development, functioning, growth and reproduction of al ...

and

RNA Ribonucleic acid (RNA) is a polymeric molecule that is essential for most biological functions, either by performing the function itself (non-coding RNA) or by forming a template for the production of proteins (messenger RNA). RNA and deoxyrib ...

. Alkyl phosphates are also important medicinally, for example the HIV drug

AZT Zidovudine (ZDV), also known as azidothymidine (AZT), was the first antiretroviral medication used to prevent and treat HIV/AIDS. It is generally recommended for use in combination with other antiretrovirals. It may be used to prevent vertica ...

is inactive until it becomes an alkyl phosphate

in vivo Studies that are ''in vivo'' (Latin for "within the living"; often not italicized in English) are those in which the effects of various biological entities are tested on whole, living organisms or cells, usually animals, including humans, an ...

Dialkyl phosphate

In Dialkyl phosphates, two of the hydrogens in phosphoric acid are replaced by alkyl groups, e.g. dimethyl phosphate – (CH₃)₂HPO₄

Agricultural use

Dialkyl phosphates or dialkyl phosphate esters are used in many

agricultural chemicals An agrochemical or agrichemical, a contraction of ''agricultural chemical'', is a chemical product used in industrial agriculture. Agrichemical typically refers to biocides (pesticides including insecticides, herbicides, fungicides and nematicid ...

. Levels in the urine have been used as a method of trying to determine levels of exposure to organophosphates; however, it is unclear how well they do this.

Health effects

Exposure to dialkyl phosphate during pregnancy appears to increase the risk of

ADHD Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterised by symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity, impulsivity, and emotional dysregulation that are excessive and pervasive, impairing in multiple ...

.{{cite journal , vauthors=de Cock M, Maas YG, van de Bor M, title=Does perinatal exposure to endocrine disruptors induce autism spectrum and attention deficit hyperactivity disorders? Review , journal=Acta Paediatr. , volume=101 , issue=8 , pages=811–8 , date=August 2012 , pmid=22458970 , doi=10.1111/j.1651-2227.2012.02693.x , s2cid=41748237

Trialkyl phosphate

In Trialkyl phosphates, all three hydrogens in phosphoric acid are replaced by alkyl groups, e.g. trimethyl phosphate – (CH₃)₃PO₄.

References

Organophosphates Phosphate esters