Phosphorus sulfides

Phosphorus sulfides comprise a family of inorganic compounds containing only phosphorus and sulfur. These compounds have the formula P4Sn with n ≤ 10. Two are of commercial significance, phosphorus pentasulfide (P4S10), which is made on a kiloton scale for the production of other organosulfur compounds, and phosphorus sesquisulfide (P4S3), used in the production of "strike anywhere matches".

There are several other phosphorus sulfides in addition to P4S3 and P4S10. Six of these phosphorus sulfides exist as isomers: P4S4, P4S5, P4S6, P4S7, P4S8, and P4S9. These isomers are distinguished by Greek letter prefixes. The prefix is based on the order of the discovery of the isomers, not their structure.[1] All known molecular phosphorus sulfides contain a tetrahedral array of four phosphorus atoms.[2] P4S2 is also known but is unstable above −30 °C.[3]

Phosphorus monosulfide monomer, PS, is highly unstable and only exists at elevated temperatures. Its bond, worth about 55 kcal/mol, is about 2.4 angstroms long.[4]

Phosphorus sulfides that exist in isomeric forms
  1. ^ Jason, M. E.; Ngo, T.; Rahman, S. (1997). "Products and Mechanisms in the Oxidation of Phosphorus by Sulfur at Low Temperature". Inorg. Chem. 36 (12): 2633–2640. doi:10.1021/ic9614879.
  2. ^ Holleman, A. F.; Wiberg, E. Inorganic Chemistry. Academic Press: San Diego, 2001. ISBN 0-12-352651-5.
  3. ^ Heal, H. G. The Inorganic Heterocyclic Chemistry of Sulfur, Nitrogen, and Phosphorus Academic Press: London; 1980 ISBN 0-12-335680-6.
  4. ^ Almasi, Lucreţia (1971). "The Sulfur–Phosphorus Bond". In Senning, Alexander (ed.). Sulfur in Organic and Inorganic Chemistry. Vol. 1. New York: Marcel Dekker. p. 43. ISBN 0-8247-1615-9. LCCN 70-154612.