The phosphorus atom in phosphines has a formal oxidation state −3 (σλ) and are the phosphorus analogues of amines.  Like amines, phosphines have a trigonal pyramidal molecular geometry although often with smaller C-E-C angles (E = N, P), at least in the absence of steric effects.  The C-P-C bond angle is 98.6° for trimethylphosphine increasing to 109.7° when the methyl groups are replaced by tert-butyl groups.  When used as ligands, the steric bulk of tertiary phosphines is evaluated by their cone angle.  The barrier to pyramidal inversion is also much higher than nitrogen inversion to occur, and therefore phosphines with three different substituents can be resolved into thermally stable optical isomers.  Phosphines are often less basic than corresponding amines, for instance the phosphonium ion itself has a pK of −14 compared to 9.21 for the ammonium ion; trimethylphosphonium has a pK of 8.65 compared to 9.76 for trimethylammonium. However, triphenylphosphine (pK 2.73) is more basic than triphenylamine  (pK −5), mainly because the lone pair of the nitrogen in NPh is partially delocalized into the three phenyl rings.  Whereas the lone pair on nitrogen is delocalized in pyrrole, the lone pair on phosphorus atom in the phosphorus equivalent of pyrrole (phosphole) is not. The reactivity of phosphines matches that of amines with regard to nucleophilicity in the formation of phosphonium salts with the general structure PRX. This property is used in the Appel reaction for converting alcohols to alkyl halides. Phosphines are easily oxidized to the corresponding phosphine oxides, whereas amine oxides are less readily generated.  In part for this reason, phosphines are very rarely encountered in nature.