[1] Most commonly encountered on the binary phosphides, i.e. those materials consisting only of phosphorus and a less electronegative element.Numerous are polyphosphides, which are solids consisting of anionic chains or clusters of phosphorus.Phosphides are known with the majority of less electronegative elements with the exception of Hg, Pb, Sb, Bi, Te, and Po.[5] Another example of deceptive nomenclature is "thorium pentaphosphide", which consists of a polymeric polyphosphide related to Hittorf's phosphorus.One common way involves heating a metal and red phosphorus (P) under inert atmospheric conditions or vacuum.These compounds were synthesized through a solid-liquid reaction between NiCl2·12H2O and red phosphorus at 200 °C for 24 and 48 hours, respectively.
Coordination environment around Cu in
Cu
3
P
. Two pairs of Cu atoms are eclipsed.
Structure of the P
7
3-
subunit as found in M3P
7
(M = alkali metal).
Close up on the structure of SnP
3
, highlighting the bonding around P (violet) and Sn (gray).