Disodium phenyl phosphate is a monophenyl ester of phosphoric acid. It is used as tool compound to study the efficacy of phosphatases. Hydrolysis of phenyl phosphate by milk phosphatases was used to used to indicate whether milk has been adequately pasteurized or whether it has been contaminated with raw milk after pasteurization. Phenyl phosphate was also used as a molecular fragment for fragment-based drug discovery of Src SH2.

Dibutyl phosphate is be used as a precursor for antistatics, a mold release agent in polyurethane applications, and a non-volatile acidic catalyst in organic media. It is also used in many industrial applications as a surfactant because of its exceptional properties of wetting, emulsification, lubrication, coupling activity and detergency. Biologically Dibutyl phosphate is used as a diagnostic urine marker for exposure to certain toxic alkyl-phosphate compounds found in insecticides and industrial lubricants.