Synthesis of (3-(pyridin-4-yl)propyl)phosphonic acid.Synthesis of (3-(pyridin-4-yl)propyl)phosphonic acid was performed in two steps as shown in scheme S1.Synthesis of diethyl (3-(pyridine-4-yl)propylphosphonate. Lithium diisopropyl amide (LDA) (18.5 ml, 1.2 eq.) was added dropwise to a solution 4-methyl pyridine (Sigma Aldrich) (1.5 ml, 15.25 mmol, 1 eq.) in 30 ml dry THF at -30 o C under an inert atmosphere. After the reaction mixture was stirred at low temperature for 3 h, diethyl 2-bromoethyl phosphonate (2.85 ml, 15.25 mmol, 1 eq.) was added as a solution in 20 ml dry THF. The reaction mixture was allowed to reach room temperature overnight then was portioned between water and chloroform. The organic layer was separated, dried over MgSO4 and concentrated. The crude product was purified by column chromatography (SiO2, dichloromethane: methanol, 24 : 1 (v : v)). The fractions with Rf = 0.15 were separated to give 1.91 g of diethyl (3-(pyridine-4-yl)propylphosphonate (h = 0.48).