Zinc diphosphide can be prepared by the reaction of zinc with phosphorus.
2 Zn + P4 → 2 ZnP2
Structure
ZnP2 has a room-temperature tetragonal form that converts to a monoclinic form at around 990 °C.[3] In both of these forms, there are chains of P atoms, helical in the tetragonal, semi-spiral in the monoclinic.[4]
This compound is part of the Zn-Cd-P-As quaternary system and exhibit partial solid-solution with other binary compounds of the system.[5]
Safety
ZnP2, like Zn3P2, is highly toxic due to the release of phosphine gas when the material reacts with gastric acid.
^Hegyi, I. J.; Loebner, E. E.; Poor (Jr.), E. W.; White, J. G. (1963). "Two crystal forms of ZnP2, their preparation, structure, and optoelectronic properties". Journal of Physics and Chemistry of Solids. 24 (2): 333–337. Bibcode:1963JPCS...24..333H. doi:10.1016/0022-3697(63)90140-9.
^Hans Georg von Schnering and Wolfgang Hönle, 1994, Phosphides: Solid State Chemistry, Encyclopedia of Inorganic chemistry, Ed. R Bruce King, John Wiley and Sons, ISBN0-471-93620-0
^Trukhan, V. M.; Izotov, A. D.; Shoukavaya, T. V. (2014). "Compounds and solid solutions of the Zn-Cd-P-As system in semiconductor electronics". Inorganic Materials. 50 (9): 868–873. doi:10.1134/S0020168514090143. S2CID94409384.