Fosforanu

Fosforanu is a Romanian term used in chemistry to refer to phosphorus-containing compounds, with particular association to the phosphate family. In many contexts the word denotes the phosphate group and its derivatives, including inorganic phosphate ions and related esters or salts. The phosphate ion PO4^3− is the simplest representative, while its protonated or deprotonated forms (H3PO4, H2PO4−, HPO4^2−) participate in a wide range of acid–base equilibria. Phosphates are common in minerals and fertilizers and play essential roles in biology, as in ATP and the backbone of nucleic acids, where the phosphate unit enables energy transfer and information storage.

In some chemical literature, fosforanu is also used to refer to organophosphorus compounds, notably phosphoranes, which are five-coordinate phosphorus species. Phosphoranes arise in certain reaction mechanisms and can feature a trigonal bipyramidal geometry around the phosphorus atom. They are discussed in the context of stereochemistry and transformations such as those occurring in Wittig-type reactions, where phosphorus-centered intermediates participate in bond formation and rearrangement. Because usage varies by author and field, the exact meaning of fosforanu may depend on the text.

Etymology traces to the element name phosphorus, with the Romanian noun-forming suffix. Related terms in Romanian include fosforat (phosphate-related), while English-language sources use phosphorane for the five-coordinate phosphorus species. See also phosphate, phosphite, phosphorane, and Wittig reaction.