α-Amino acid derivatives with a C α -P bond have been used for a wide range of chemical transformations, including synthesis of many kinds of bioactive compounds, e.g. nonproteinogenic α-amino acids, α,β-dehydro-α-amino acids, dehydropeptides, β-lactam antibiotics and glycopeptides. The present review is focused on methods of synthesis of the title compounds, their properties and application in organic synthesis.