Aluminium phosphide

Cubic

A = 546.35 pm

Dark gray to pale-yellow crystalline solid

Fixed

2.42 g · cm -3

1800 ° C.

Slow decomposition in water

Risk

-166.5 KJ / mol

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Production and representation

Aluminum phosphide can be obtained by melting together of red phosphorus with aluminum. Due to the highly exothermic reaction, however, appear to unwanted side reactions, so that other production processes (for example, use of yellow phosphorus ) applied.

Properties

Aluminum phosphide is a dark gray to pale-yellow crystalline solid, which in contact with water or acids, flammable and highly toxic phosphine ( PH3; hydrogen phosphide ) is developed.

Aluminum phosphide has a cubic zinc-blende structure (similar to GaAs ), in which all the atoms are arranged tetrahedrally.

Use

Aluminum phosphide is used as a pesticide ( insecticide and rodenticide with effect on the formation of phosphine, the major enzyme systems blocked ) and used in semiconductor research (eg for the production of aluminum gallium indium phosphide / Indiumgalliumaluminiumphosphid ). It is a III-V semiconductor.