The Collaborative International Dictionary
Hypophosphite \Hy`po*phos"phite\, n. (Chem.) A salt of hypophosphorous acid.
Wiktionary
n. (context chemistry English) any salt of hypophosphorous acid
Wikipedia
The hypophosphite ion is , hypophosphorous acid minus one hydrogen ion.
Hypophosphites are the compounds containing this ion, with phosphorus in oxidation state +1, or similar covalent ones.
Two hydrogens are attached directly to the phosphorus atom.
The IUPAC (mostly organic) name for the same ion is phosphinate. This is virtually not used for hypophosphite ion itself, with both hydrogens remaining, but for substituted ions. For example, "dimethylphosphinate" ion would be .
Hypophosphites can be made by heating white phosphorus in warm aqueous alkali:
P + 3 OH + 3 HO → 3 + PHHypophosphites are reducing agents:
+3OH → + 2HO + 2e
Hypophosphites are used in electroless nickel plating as the reducing agent to deposit for example Ni metal from Ni salts. The hypophosphite ion is thermodynamically unstable, and disproportionates on heating to phosphine gas and phosphate salts:
2 → PH +Usage examples of "hypophosphite".
It can, therefore, no longer be doubted that this wonderful compound is far superior as a remedy for Consumption to cod liver oil, compound Hypophosphites, and the many other agents so highly extolled, and so generally prescribed for this fatal malady by even the more progressive and advanced of the medical profession of our day.
I had taken every kind of medicine that was recommended for similar maladies, such as cod liver oil, sarsaparillas, iron tonic and syrup of hypophosphites, without any relief.