White phosphorus as single source of 'P' in the synthesis of nickel phosphide

摘要

White phosphorus, P_4, was reacted in a stoichiometric manner with Ni(0) complexes or particles to produce nanoparticles of nickel phosphide. White phosphorus, P_4, is the most widely employed starting precursor for all the chemistry pertaining to phosphorus derivatives. It serves as a phosphorus carrier for the elaboration of most phosphines via the intermediacy of either PC1_3 or PH_3. However, apart from these well-known basic transformations, P_4 has only rarely been used in more elaborate processes. Its reactivity towards transition metals has been studied with the ultimate goal of devising metal catalyzed transformations to phosphorus derivatives, without having to handle highly toxic PH_3 gas for instance. The development of such processes has been hampered by the often uncontrollable reactivity of P_4 with metal precursors. Indeed, coordination of one to four phosphorus centers and insertions into one to several of the P-P bonds of P_4 are highly competitive processes. In some instances however, using carefully designed metal complexes, with strongly bound ligands, one of these processes may be favored.