Difference between revisions of "Aluminium phosphide"

From WikiChem
Jump to: navigation, search
(External links)
 
(3 intermediate revisions by the same user not shown)
Line 24: Line 24:
 
|  Appearance = yellow or gray crystals
 
|  Appearance = yellow or gray crystals
 
|  Density = 2.85 g/cm<sup>3</sup>, solid
 
|  Density = 2.85 g/cm<sup>3</sup>, solid
|  Solubility = reacts
+
|  Solubility = reacts to release [[phosphine]]
 
|  MeltingPt = 2530 °C
 
|  MeltingPt = 2530 °C
 
|  BoilingPt =
 
|  BoilingPt =
 
|  BandGap = 2.5 eV (indirect)
 
|  BandGap = 2.5 eV (indirect)
| RefractIndex = 2.75 (IR), ~3 (visible)
+
|   RefractIndex = 2.75 (IR), ~3 (visible)
 +
  }}
 +
| Section3 = {{Chembox Structure
 +
|  CrystalStruct = [[Sphalerite]] (cubic)
 +
|  SpaceGroup =
 +
|  Coordination = Tetrahedral (Al<sup>3+</sup>)<br/>Tetrahedral (P<sup>3−</sup>)
 +
|  LattConst_a = 545.1 pm
 
   }}
 
   }}
 
| Section7 = {{Chembox Hazards
 
| Section7 = {{Chembox Hazards
Line 80: Line 86:
 
==External links==
 
==External links==
 
*{{ICSC|0472}}
 
*{{ICSC|0472}}
*{{PGCH|0024}}
 
 
*{{EHC|194|name=Aluminium}}
 
*{{EHC|194|name=Aluminium}}
 
+
*{{HSDB|name=Aluminum phosphide}}
{{insecticides}}
 
{{rodenticides}}
 
  
 
[[Category:Aluminium compounds]]
 
[[Category:Aluminium compounds]]
 
[[Category:Phosphides]]
 
[[Category:Phosphides]]
 
[[Category:Semiconductor materials]]
 
[[Category:Semiconductor materials]]
[[Category:Inorganic insecticides]]
+
[[Category:Phosphide insecticides]]
 
[[Category:Rodenticides]]
 
[[Category:Rodenticides]]
 
[[Category:III-V compounds]]
 
[[Category:III-V compounds]]
  
 
{{Imported from Wikipedia|name=Aluminium phosphide|id=324039334}}
 
{{Imported from Wikipedia|name=Aluminium phosphide|id=324039334}}

Latest revision as of 08:12, 17 December 2009

Aluminium phosphide
Aluminium phosphide
Other names Aluminium(III) phosphide
Aluminium monophosphide
Phostoxin
Fumitoxin
Identifiers
InChI InChI=1/Al.P/rAlP/c1-2
InChIKey PPNXXZIBFHTHDM-LQQCNYPFAR
Standard InChI InChI=1S/Al.P
Standard InChIKey PPNXXZIBFHTHDM-UHFFFAOYSA-N
CAS number [20859-73-8]
EC number 244-088-0
RTECS BD1400000
ChemSpider 28171
PubChem 30332
Properties[1]
Chemical formula AlP
Molar mass 57.955 g/mol
Appearance yellow or gray crystals
Density 2.85 g/cm3, solid
Melting point

2530 °C

Solubility in water reacts to release phosphine
Band gap 2.5 eV (indirect)
Refractive index (nD) 2.75 (IR), ~3 (visible)
Structure
Crystal structure Sphalerite (cubic)
Lattice constant a = 545.1 pm
Coordination geometry Tetrahedral (Al3+)
Tetrahedral (P3−)
Hazards[2]
Material safety data sheet (MSDS) ICSC 0472
EU index number 015-004-00-8
GHS pictograms Water-react. 1Acute Tox. 2Aquatic Acute 1
GHS signal word DANGER
GHS hazard statements H260, H300, H400
Flash point >800 °C
LD50 11.5 mg/kg
Related compounds
Other anions Aluminium nitride
Aluminium arsenide
Aluminium antimonide
Other cations Gallium phosphide
Indium phosphide
Thallium phosphide
Other compounds Aluminium gallium phosphide
Aluminium gallium indium phosphide
 Template:Tick(what is this?)  (verify)
Except where noted otherwise, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C, 100 kPa)

Aluminium phosphide is the chemical compound with the empirical formula AlP. This colourless solid is generally sold as a grey-green-yellow powder due to the presence of impurities arising from hydrolysis and oxidation. This material is a wide band gap semiconductor and is used as a fumigant.

Structure, synthesis, and chemical properties

AlP crystallizes in the cubic zinc blende lattice, wherein all atoms have tetrahedral coordination. Related materials crystallize similarly, including GaAs. At pressures of 14-17 GPa, AlP transforms into a rocksalt phase.[1]

Crude aluminium phosphide can be prepared in the laboratory by igniting a mixture of red phosphorus and powdered aluminium.[3]

Aluminium phosphide reacts with water or acids to release phosphine.[4]

AlP + 3 H2O → Al(OH)3 + PH3
AlP + 3 H+ → Al3+ + PH3

Physical properties

Aluminium phosphide has a hardness of 5.5 on the Mohs scale.[1]

Pesticide

AlP is used as a rodenticide, insecticide, and fumigant for stored cereal grains. It is used to kill small verminous mammals such as moles, rabbits, and rodents. The tablets or pellets typically also contain other chemicals that evolve ammonia which helps to reduce the potential for spontaneous ignition or explosion of the phosphine gas.

As a rodenticide, aluminium phosphide pellets are provided as a mixture with food for consumption by the rodents. The acid in the digestive system of the rodent reacts with the phosphide to generate the toxic phosphine gas. Other pesticides similar to aluminium phosphide are zinc phosphide and calcium phosphide.

As a rodenticide, aluminium phosphide can be encountered under various brand names, e.g. Celphos, Fumitoxin, Phostoxin, and Quick Phos.

Incidents

In October 2002, Sir Derek Bibby, 2nd baronet and great-great-grandson of the founder and past chairman and president of the Bibby Line shipping company, aged 80 and terminally ill with leukaemia, committed suicide by consuming aluminium phosphide - the poison, hours later, caused his body to emit dangerous fumes forcing the evacuation of the hospital department where his body was being held.[5]

In February 2009, two children died in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia after a neighbouring house was fumigated with aluminium phosphide.[6]

Semiconductor applications

Industrially, AlP is a semiconductor material that is usually alloyed with other binary materials for applications in devices such as light-emitting diodes (e.g. aluminium gallium indium phosphide).[7]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Berger, L. I. Semiconductor materials; CRC Press, 1996; p 125. ISBN 0849389127.
  2. Index no. 015-004-00-8 of Annex VI, Part 3, to Regulation (EC) No 1272/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 2008 on classification, labelling and packaging of substances and mixtures, amending and repealing Directives 67/548/EEC and 1999/45/EC, and amending Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006. OJEU L353, 31.12.2008, pp 1–1355 at p 372.
  3. White, Wayne E.; Bushey, A. H. Aluminum Phosphide. Inorg. Synth. 1953, 4, 23–25. DOI: 10.1002/9780470132357.ch7.
  4. Holleman, A. F.; Wiberg, E. Inorganic Chemistry; Academic Press: San Diego, 2001. ISBN 0-12-352651-5.
  5. Millionaire's death sparks poison scare; BBC News, 2002-10-10, <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/2314911.stm>. (accessed 5 April 2009).
  6. Fumes kill two Danes in Jeddah; BBC News, 2009-02-24, <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7908102.stm>. (accessed 25 February 2009).
  7. Corbridge, D. E. C. Phosphorus: An Outline of its Chemistry, Biochemistry, and Technology, 5th ed.; Elsevier: Amsterdam, 1995. ISBN 0-444-89307-5.

External links

Error creating thumbnail: Unable to save thumbnail to destination
Wikipedia-logo.png This page was originally imported from Wikipedia, specifically this version of the article "Aluminium phosphide". Please see the history page on Wikipedia for the original authors. This WikiChem article may have been modified since it was imported. It is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution–Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.