A Micromethod for Rapid Quantitative Determination of Phosphonate Phosphorus

A rapid method for initial quantitative estimation of the phosphate present in compound containing a carbon-phosphorus bond is described. Two phosphorus assays are employed. One assay is for total phosphorus, which can be determined by digesting with perchloric acid and the other assay is for total non phosphonate phosphorus which can be determined by digesting with sulfuric acid simultaneously. The difference between total phosphorus and the non phosphonate phosphorus determined represents the amount of phosphorus present in a carbon-phosphorus linkage in a crude phospholipids sample