Ytterbium(III) phosphide is an
inorganic compound
In chemistry, an inorganic compound is typically a chemical compound that lacks carbon–hydrogen bonds, that is, a compound that is not an organic compound. The study of inorganic compounds is a subfield of chemistry known as '' inorganic chemist ...
of
ytterbium and
phosphorus
Phosphorus is a chemical element with the symbol P and atomic number 15. Elemental phosphorus exists in two major forms, white phosphorus and red phosphorus, but because it is highly reactive, phosphorus is never found as a free element on Ear ...
with the chemical formula YbP.
This is one of the phosphides of ytterbium.
Synthesis
Ytterbium and phosphine reacts in
liquid ammonia
Ammonia is an inorganic compound of nitrogen and hydrogen with the formula . A stable binary hydride, and the simplest pnictogen hydride, ammonia is a colourless gas with a distinct pungent smell. Biologically, it is a common nitrogenous wast ...
to form Yb(PH
2)
2·5NH
3, which can be decomposed to obtain ytterbium(III) phosphide:
::Yb(PH
2)
2•5NH
3 → Yb(PH
2)
2 + 5NH
3
::2Yb(PH
2)
2 → YbP + 2PH
3 + H
2
Physical properties
Ytterbium(III) phosphide decomposes at or above 550 °C:
:: 12 YbP → 4 Yb
3P
2 + P
4
It is soluble in
hydrochloric acid
Hydrochloric acid, also known as muriatic acid, is an aqueous solution of hydrogen chloride. It is a colorless solution with a distinctive pungent smell. It is classified as a strong acid
Acid strength is the tendency of an acid, symbol ...
,
nitric acid
Nitric acid is the inorganic compound with the formula . It is a highly corrosive mineral acid. The compound is colorless, but older samples tend to be yellow cast due to decomposition into oxides of nitrogen. Most commercially available nitri ...
, and
aqua regia.
The compound forms black crystals of a
cubic system
In crystallography, the cubic (or isometric) crystal system is a crystal system where the unit cell is in the shape of a cube. This is one of the most common and simplest shapes found in crystals and minerals.
There are three main varieties of ...
,
space group ''Fm''3''m''.
Uses
The ytterbium(III) phosphide compound is a
semiconductor
A semiconductor is a material which has an electrical resistivity and conductivity, electrical conductivity value falling between that of a electrical conductor, conductor, such as copper, and an insulator (electricity), insulator, such as glas ...
used in high power, high frequency applications and in laser and other photo diodes.
References
{{Phosphides
Phosphides
Ytterbium(III) compounds
Semiconductors
Rock salt crystal structure