We have developed a new, efficient method for the synthesis of benzylphosphonate and benzylphosphonothioate diesters via a palladium(0)-catalyzed cross-coupling reaction between benzyl halides and H-phosphonate or H-phosphonothioate diesters, using Pd2(dba)3(CHCl3) as a palladium source and Xantphos as a supporting ligand. Some mechanistic aspects of these reactions were investigated using 31P NMR spectroscopy.
