Copper(II) phosphate is an
inorganic compound
An inorganic compound is typically a chemical compound that lacks carbon–hydrogen bondsthat is, a compound that is not an organic compound. The study of inorganic compounds is a subfield of chemistry known as ''inorganic chemistry''.
Inorgan ...
with the
chemical formula
A chemical formula is a way of presenting information about the chemical proportions of atoms that constitute a particular chemical compound or molecule, using chemical element symbols, numbers, and sometimes also other symbols, such as pare ...
Cu3(
PO4)
2. It can be regarded as the
cupric salt
In common usage, salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl). When used in food, especially in granulated form, it is more formally called table salt. In the form of a natural crystalline mineral, salt is also known as r ...
of
phosphoric acid
Phosphoric acid (orthophosphoric acid, monophosphoric acid or phosphoric(V) acid) is a colorless, odorless phosphorus-containing solid, and inorganic compound with the chemical formula . It is commonly encountered as an 85% aqueous solution, ...
.
Anhydrous copper(II) phosphate and a
trihydrate are blue solids.
Preparation
Hydrated copper(II) phosphate precipitates upon addition of a solution of alkali metal phosphate to an aqueous solution of copper(II) sulfate. The anhydrous material can be produced by a high-temperature (1000 °C) reaction between
diammonium phosphate and
copper(II) oxide.
: 2 (NH
4)
2HPO
4 + 3 CuO → Cu
3(PO
4)
2 + 3 H
2O + 4 NH
3
In laboratories, copper phosphate is prepared by the addition of
phosphoric acid
Phosphoric acid (orthophosphoric acid, monophosphoric acid or phosphoric(V) acid) is a colorless, odorless phosphorus-containing solid, and inorganic compound with the chemical formula . It is commonly encountered as an 85% aqueous solution, ...
to an alkali copper salt such as
copper hydroxide, or
basic copper carbonate.
: 3 Cu(OH)
2 + 2 H
3PO
4 → 6 H
2O + Cu
3(PO
4)
2
: 3 Cu
2(OH)
2CO
3 + 4 H
3PO
4 → 2 Cu
3(PO
4)
2 + 3 CO
2 + 9 H
2O
Uses
Copper(II) phosphate has many uses. Due to it being a copper metal salt it can be used as a fungicide; it works by denaturating proteins and enzymes in cells of pathogens. Many other copper salts, such as
copper sulfate, are used as fungicides.
Another use of copper(II) phosphate is as a fertilizer. Copper is one of the 16
essential elements required for plant growth. Copper(II) phosphate supplies the plant with both phosphorus and copper, which stimulates growth.
Structure
In terms of structure, copper(II) phosphate is a
coordination polymer, as is typical for most metal
phosphate
Phosphates are the naturally occurring form of the element phosphorus.
In chemistry, a phosphate is an anion, salt, functional group or ester derived from a phosphoric acid. It most commonly means orthophosphate, a derivative of orthop ...
s. The phosphate center is tetrahedral. In the anhydrous material, the copper centers are pentacoordinate. In the monohydrate, the copper adopts 6-, 5-, and 4-coordinate geometries.
Minerals
Copper(II) phosphate is relatively commonly encountered as the hydrated species Cu
2(PO
4)OH, which is green and occurs naturally as the mineral
libethenite.
Pseudomalachite, Cu
5(PO
4)
2(OH)
4, is the most common copper phosphate in nature, typical for some oxidation zones of copper ore deposits.
Pseudomalachite on Mindat
References
External links
* Handbook of chemistry and physics http://www.hbcpnetbase.com/
{{Phosphates
Copper(II) compounds
Phosphates