Aluminium phosphide

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Aluminium phosphide
Aluminum Phosphide.jpg
Sphalerite-unit-cell-depth-fade-3D-balls.png
Names
Other names
Aluminum phosphide
Aluminium(III) phosphide
Aluminium monophosphide
Phostoxin
Fumitoxin
Identifiers
3D model (JSmol)
ChemSpider
ECHA InfoCard 100.040.065 OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
EC Number
  • 244-088-0
PubChem CID
RTECS number
  • BD1400000
UNII
UN number 1397 3048
  • InChI=1S/Al.P Yes check.svgY
    Key: PPNXXZIBFHTHDM-UHFFFAOYSA-N Yes check.svgY
  • InChI=1/Al.P/rAlP/c1-2
    Key: PPNXXZIBFHTHDM-LQQCNYPFAR
  • [PH+]12[Al-][PH+]3[Al-][PH+]([AlH-]14)[AlH-]1[P+]5([AlH-]38)[Al-]26[PH+]2[AlH-]([P+]4)[PH+]1[Al-][PH+]3[AlH-]2[P+][AlH-]([PH+]6[AlH-]([PH+])[PH+]68)[PH+]([Al-]6)[AlH-]35
Properties
AlP
Molar mass 57.9552 g/mol
AppearanceYellow or gray crystals
Odor garlic-like
Density 2.85 g/cm3
Melting point 2,530 °C (4,590 °F; 2,800 K)
reacts
Band gap 2.5 eV (indirect) [1]
2.75 (IR), ~3 (Vis) [1]
Structure
Zincblende
T2d-F43m
a = 546.35 pm
Tetrahedral
Thermochemistry
Std molar
entropy (S⦵298)
47.3 J/mol K
-164.4 kJ/mol
Hazards
GHS labelling:
GHS-pictogram-flamme.svg GHS-pictogram-skull.svg GHS-pictogram-pollu.svg
Danger
H260, H300, H311, H330, H400
P223, P231+P232, P260, P264, P270, P271, P273, P280, P284, P301+P310, P302+P352, P304+P340, P310, P312, P320, P321, P322, P330, P335+P334, P361, P363, P370+P378, P391, P402+P404, P403+P233, P405, P501
NFPA 704 (fire diamond)
NFPA 704.svgHealth 4: Very short exposure could cause death or major residual injury. E.g. VX gasFlammability 1: Must be pre-heated before ignition can occur. Flash point over 93 °C (200 °F). E.g. canola oilInstability 2: Undergoes violent chemical change at elevated temperatures and pressures, reacts violently with water, or may form explosive mixtures with water. E.g. white phosphorusSpecial hazard W: Reacts with water in an unusual or dangerous manner. E.g. sodium, sulfuric acid
4
1
2
W
Flash point >800 °C (1,470 °F; 1,070 K)
Lethal dose or concentration (LD, LC):
11.5 mg/kg
Safety data sheet (SDS) External MSDS
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
Yes check.svgY  verify  (what is  Yes check.svgYX mark.svgN ?)

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

Contents

Properties

AlP crystals are dark grey to dark yellow in color and have a zincblende crystal structure [2] with a lattice constant of 5.4510 Å at 300 K. [3] They are thermodynamically stable up to 1,000 °C (1,830 °F). [4]

Aluminium phosphide reacts with water or acids to release phosphine: [5]

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

This reaction is the basis of its toxicity.

Preparation

AlP is synthesized by combination of the elements: [4] [6]

4Al + P4 → 4AlP

Caution must be taken to avoid exposing the AlP to any sources of moisture, as this generates toxic phosphine gas. Phosphine also poses fire hazards, as it is a dangerous pyrophoric compound, igniting easily in air.

Uses

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 and rodents. The tablets or pellets, known as "wheat pills", typically also contain other chemicals that evolve ammonia and carbon dioxide (e.g. ammonium carbamate), which help to reduce the potential for spontaneous ignition or explosion of the phosphine gas. [7]

AlP is used as both a fumigant and an oral pesticide. 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. In this application, aluminium phosphide can be encountered under various brand names, e.g. PestPhos,Quickphos, Celphos, Fostox, Fumitoxin, Phostek, Phostoxin, Talunex, Fieldphos, and Weevil-Cide. It generates phosphine gas according to the following hydrolysis equation. [6]

2 AlP + 6 H2O → Al2O3∙3 H2O + 2 PH3

It is used as a fumigant when other pesticide applications are impractical and when structures and installations are being treated, such as in ships, aircraft, and grain silos. All of these structures can be effectively sealed or enclosed in a gastight membrane, thereby containing and concentrating the phosphine fumes. Fumigants are also applied directly to rodent burrows. [8]

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). [9]

Toxicology

Highly poisonous, aluminium phosphide has been used for suicide. [10] Fumigation has also caused unintentional deaths. [11] [12] [13] Known as "rice tablet" in Iran, for its use to preserve rice, there have been frequent incidents of accidental or intentional death. There is a campaign by the Iranian Forensic Medicine Organization to stop its use as a pesticide. [14] [15]

Recycling of used aluminium phosphide containers caused the death of three family members in Alcalá de Guadaira, Spain. They had been keeping them in plastic sacks in their bathroom. The deaths occurred accidentally due to aluminium phosphide reacting with water or moisture, and becoming phosphine, leading to their death within hours. [16]

Aluminium phosphide poisoning is considered a wide-scale problem in the Indian subcontinent. [17] [18]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phosphine</span> Chemical compound hydrogen phosphide

Phosphine (IUPAC name: phosphane) is a colorless, flammable, highly toxic compound with the chemical formula PH3, classed as a pnictogen hydride. Pure phosphine is odorless, but technical grade samples have a highly unpleasant odor like rotting fish, due to the presence of substituted phosphine and diphosphane (P2H4). With traces of P2H4 present, PH3 is spontaneously flammable in air (pyrophoric), burning with a luminous flame. Phosphine is a highly toxic respiratory poison, and is immediately dangerous to life or health at 50 ppm. Phosphine has a trigonal pyramidal structure.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indium phosphide</span> Chemical compound

Indium phosphide (InP) is a binary semiconductor composed of indium and phosphorus. It has a face-centered cubic ("zincblende") crystal structure, identical to that of GaAs and most of the III-V semiconductors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rodenticide</span> Chemical used to kill rodents

Rodenticides are chemicals made and sold for the purpose of killing rodents. While commonly referred to as "rat poison", rodenticides are also used to kill mice, squirrels, woodchucks, chipmunks, porcupines, nutria, beavers, and voles. Despite the crucial roles that rodents play in nature, there are times when they need to be controlled.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trimethylaluminium</span> Chemical compound

Trimethylaluminium is one of the simplest examples of an organoaluminium compound. Despite its name it has the formula Al2(CH3)6 (abbreviated as Al2Me6 or TMA), as it exists as a dimer. This colorless liquid is pyrophoric. It is an industrially important compound, closely related to triethylaluminium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stibine</span> Chemical compound

Stibine (IUPAC name: stibane) is a chemical compound with the formula SbH3. A pnictogen hydride, this colourless, highly toxic gas is the principal covalent hydride of antimony, and a heavy analogue of ammonia. The molecule is pyramidal with H–Sb–H angles of 91.7° and Sb–H distances of 170.7 pm (1.707 Å). This gas has an offensive smell like hydrogen sulfide (rotten eggs).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phosphide</span>

In chemistry, a phosphide is a compound containing the P3− ion or its equivalent. Many different phosphides are known, with widely differing structures. 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. Finally, some phosphides are molecular.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Calcium phosphide</span> Chemical compound

Calcium phosphide (CP) is the inorganic compound with the formula Ca3P2. It is one of several phosphides of calcium, being described as the salt-like material composed of Ca2+ and P3−. Other, more exotic calcium phosphides have the formula CaP / Ca2P2, CaP3, and Ca5P8.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Metalorganic vapour-phase epitaxy</span> Method of producing thin films (polycrystalline and single crystal)

Metalorganic vapour-phase epitaxy (MOVPE), also known as organometallic vapour-phase epitaxy (OMVPE) or metalorganic chemical vapour deposition (MOCVD), is a chemical vapour deposition method used to produce single- or polycrystalline thin films. It is a process for growing crystalline layers to create complex semiconductor multilayer structures. In contrast to molecular-beam epitaxy (MBE), the growth of crystals is by chemical reaction and not physical deposition. This takes place not in vacuum, but from the gas phase at moderate pressures. As such, this technique is preferred for the formation of devices incorporating thermodynamically metastable alloys, and it has become a major process in the manufacture of optoelectronics, such as Light-emitting diodes. It was invented in 1968 at North American Aviation Science Center by Harold M. Manasevit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aluminium arsenide</span> Chemical compound

Aluminium arsenide is a semiconductor material with almost the same lattice constant as gallium arsenide and aluminium gallium arsenide and wider band gap than gallium arsenide. (AlAs) can form a superlattice with gallium arsenide (GaAs) which results in its semiconductor properties. Because GaAs and AlAs have almost the same lattice constant, the layers have very little induced strain, which allows them to be grown almost arbitrarily thick. This allows for extremely high performance high electron mobility, HEMT transistors, and other quantum well devices.

Aluminium gallium indium phosphide is a semiconductor material that provides a platform for the development of novel multi-junction photovoltaics and optoelectronic devices, as it spans a direct bandgap from deep ultraviolet to infrared.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sodium phosphide</span> Chemical compound

Sodium phosphide is the inorganic compound with the formula Na3P. It is a black solid. It is often described as Na+ salt of the P3− anion. Na3P is a source of the highly reactive phosphide anion. It should not be confused with sodium phosphate, Na3PO4.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zinc phosphide</span> Chemical compound

Zinc phosphide (Zn3P2) is an inorganic chemical compound. It is a grey solid, although commercial samples are often dark or even black. It is used as a rodenticide. Zn3P2 is a II-V semiconductor with a direct band gap of 1.5 eV and may have applications in photovoltaic cells. A second compound exists in the zinc-phosphorus system, zinc diphosphide (ZnP2).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diphenadione</span> Chemical compound

Diphenadione is a vitamin K antagonist that has anticoagulant effects and is used as a rodenticide against rats, mice, voles, ground squirrels and other rodents. The chemical compound is an anti-coagulant with active half-life longer than warfarin and other synthetic 1,3-indandione anticoagulants.

Iron phosphide is a chemical compound of iron and phosphorus, with a formula of FeP. Its physical appearance is grey, hexagonal needles.

This is an index of articles relating to pesticides.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aluminium phosphide poisoning</span> Type of poisoning

Aluminium phosphide poisoning is poisoning that occurs as a result of excessive exposure to aluminium phosphide (AlP), which is readily available as a fumigant for stored cereal grains and sold under various brand names such as QuickPhos, Salphos and Celphos. Aluminium phosphide is highly toxic, especially when consumed from a freshly opened container. Acute aluminium phosphide poisoning (AAlPP) is a large though under-reported problem throughout the world, particularly in the Indian subcontinent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ammonium carbamate</span> Chemical compound

Ammonium carbamate is a chemical compound with the formula [NH4][H2NCO2] consisting of ammonium cation NH+4 and carbamate anion NH2COO−. It is a white solid that is extremely soluble in water, less so in alcohol. Ammonium carbamate can be formed by the reaction of ammonia NH3 with carbon dioxide CO2, and will slowly decompose to those gases at ordinary temperatures and pressures. It is an intermediate in the industrial synthesis of urea (NH2)2CO, an important fertilizer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Methylphosphine</span> Chemical compound

Methylphosphine is the simplest organophosphorus compound with the formula CH3PH2, often written MePH2. It is a malodorous gas that condenses to a colorless liquid. It can be produced by methylation of phosphide salts:

Cadmium phosphide (Cd3P2) is an inorganic chemical compound. It is a grey or white bluish solid semiconductor material with a bandgap of 0.5 eV. It has applications as a pesticide, material for laser diodes and for high-power-high-frequency electronics.

Lithium phosphide is an inorganic compound of lithium and phosphorus with the chemical formula Li
3P.

References

  1. 1 2 Berger, L. I. (1996). Semiconductor Materials . CRC Press. pp.  125. ISBN   0-8493-8912-7.
  2. ↑ Van Zeghbroeck; B. J. (1997). "Bravais Lattices; Zincblende Lattice". University of Colorado.
  3. ↑ "Lattice Constants". SiliconFarEast.com. 2004. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
  4. 1 2 White, W. E.; Bushey, A. H.; Holtzclaw, H. F.; Hengeveld, F. W. (1953). "Aluminum Phosphide". In Bailar, J. C. (ed.). Inorganic Syntheses. Vol. 4. pp. 23–25. doi:10.1002/9780470132357.ch7. ISBN   978-0-470-13235-7.
  5. ↑ Holleman, Arnold Frederik; Wiberg, Egon (2001), Wiberg, Nils (ed.), Inorganic Chemistry, translated by Eagleson, Mary; Brewer, William, San Diego/Berlin: Academic Press/De Gruyter, ISBN   0-12-352651-5
  6. 1 2 White, W. E.; Bushey, A. H. (1944). "Aluminum Phosphide – Preparation and Composition". Journal of the American Chemical Society. 66 (10): 1666. doi:10.1021/ja01238a018.
  7. ↑ United States Environmental Protection Agency. (2006). Inert Reassessment-Ammonium Carbamate [Data File]. Retrieved from http://www.epa.gov/opprd001/inerts/carbamate.pdf
  8. ↑ Buckle, A. "Rodenticides". Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry . Weinheim: Wiley-VCH. doi:10.1002/14356007.a23_211. ISBN   978-3527306732.
  9. ↑ Corbridge, D. E. C. (1995). Phosphorus: An Outline of its Chemistry, Biochemistry, and Technology (5th ed.). Amsterdam: Elsevier. ISBN   0-444-89307-5.
  10. ↑ "Millionaire's death sparks poison scare". BBC News . 2002-10-10. Archived from the original on 2012-04-06. Retrieved 2009-04-05.
  11. ↑ "Fumes kill two Danes in Jeddah". BBC News . 2009-02-24. Archived from the original on 25 February 2009. Retrieved 2009-02-25.
  12. ↑ "Family loses 2nd child in suspected pesticide poisoning". KSL-TV. 2010-02-09. Archived from the original on 11 February 2010.
  13. ↑ "4 children dead in Texas in pesticide spraying incident". CBS News . 2017-01-02.
  14. ↑ Shadnia, S.; Sasanian, G.; Allami, P.; et al. (2009). "A Retrospective 7-Years Study of Aluminum Phosphide Poisoning in Tehran: Opportunities for Prevention". Human & Experimental Toxicology. 28 (4): 209–213. Bibcode:2009HETox..28..209S. doi:10.1177/0960327108097194. PMID   19734272. S2CID   38361878.
  15. ↑ Mehrpour, O.; Singh, S. (2010). "Rice Tablet Poisoning: A Major Concern in Iranian Population". Human & Experimental Toxicology. 29 (8): 701–702. Bibcode:2010HETox..29..701M. doi:10.1177/0960327109359643. PMID   20097728. S2CID   37380994.
  16. ↑ "La familia de Alcalá de Guadaira murió tras inhalar plaguicida". La Vanguardia . Agencia EFE. 3 February 2014. Retrieved 3 February 2014.
  17. ↑ Siwach, SB; Gupta, A (1995). "The profile of acute poisonings in Harayana-Rohtak Study". The Journal of the Association of Physicians of India. 43 (11): 756–9. PMID   8773034.
  18. ↑ Singh, D; Jit, I; Tyagi, S (1999). "Changing trends in acute poisoning in Chandigarh zone: A 25-year autopsy experience from a tertiary care hospital in northern India". The American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology. 20 (2): 203–10. doi:10.1097/00000433-199906000-00019. PMID   10414665.
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