Gold phosphides are inorganic compounds of
gold and
phosphorus. The only known gold phosphide is a
metastable gold(I)
polyphosphide with the formula .
Older texts sometimes refer to a binary auric phosphide ;
Preparation
Monoclinic is produced by direct reaction between metallic gold and
red phosphorus at high temperatures over multiple days. The reaction produced only , with no other compounds observed across a wide variety of Au:P atom ratios.
Gold(III) phosphide was purportedly prepared by the direct reaction of spongy gold and phosphorus or by passing phosphine into a solution of auric chloride in ether or alcohol:
Properties
is claimed to decompose in air or with .
It has a
monoclinic crystal structure.
Related
A mixed anion
phosphide iodide, , is known to possess a
trigonal structure.
