The Abuzov reaction is used in the synthesis of phosphonates from phosphites . The phosphonates obtained in the Abuzov synthesis are used as starting materials in the Horner-Wittig synthesis.

Mechanism
The first stage consists of the addition of the alkyl halide to the phosphonate to give a phosphonium salt

phosphonium salt is unstable under reaction conditions, and evolves to give the alkyl phosphonate and the alkyl halide .



References
1. A. Michaelis, R. Kaehne, Ber. dtsch. Chem. Ges. 1898, 31, 1048–1055.
2. BA Arbuzov, Pure Appl. Chem. 1964, 9, 307-335.