These sterically constrained phosphorus compounds show remarkable reactivity towards protic reagents such as primary amines and alcohols, which results in intermolecular oxidative addition of these O−H and N−H bonds. This reaction tolerates a variety of different substrates, including ammonia and water. Two mechanisms have been suggested for the understanding of the unusual insertion of phosphorus atoms into polar X−H bonds by oxidative addition.
Nontrigonal phosphorus compounds can also react with ammonia–borane to form a formal dihydrogen oxidative addition product. This compound proved to facilitate the catalytic reduction of azobenzene.