English

Noun

1. Any binary compound of phosphorus, especially one in oxidation state −3.

Translations

• French: phosphure
• Italian: fosfuro

Derived terms

• aluminium phosphide, aluminum phosphide
• cadmium phosphide
• calcium phosphide
• copper phosphide
• gallium arsenide phosphide
• indium phosphide

In chemistry a phosphide is a compound of phosphorus with a less electronegative element or elements. Binary compounds are formed with the majority of less electronegative elements with the exception of Hg, Pb, Sb, Bi, Te, Po. Typically there are a range of stoichiometries with each element, for example potassium has nine phosphides; (K3P, K4P3, K5P4, KP, K4P6 K3P7, K3P11, KP10.3, KP15) and nickel has eight,( Ni3P, Ni5P2, Ni12P5, NiP2, Ni5P4, NiP, NiP2, NiP3). on structural and reactivity grounds they can be broadly classified:

Two polyphosphide ions P34− found in K4P3, and P45−, found in in K5P4 are radical anions with an odd number of valence electrons making both compounds paramagnetic.

Examples

See also Phosphides

• Aluminium phosphide (AlP)
• Indium phosphide (InP)
• Calcium phosphide (Ca3P2)
• Copper phosphide (Cu3P)

References