Diphosphorus tetroxide, or phosphorus tetroxide is an inorganic compound of phosphorus and oxygen. It has the empirical chemical formula P2O4. Solid phosphorus tetroxide (also referred to as phosphorus(III,V)-oxide) consists of variable mixtures of the mixed-valence oxides P4O7, P4O8 and P4O9.[1][2][3]

Preparation

Phosphorus tetroxide can be produced by thermal decomposition of phosphorus trioxide, which disproportionates above 210 °C to form phosphorus tetroxide, with elemental phosphorus as a byproduct:

In addition, phosphorus trioxide can be converted into phosphorus tetroxide by controlled oxidation with oxygen in carbon tetrachloride solution.[4][5][6]

Careful reduction of phosphorus pentoxide with red phosphorus at 450-525 °C also produces phosphorus tetroxide.

References

  1. ^ http://www.wiley.com/college/math/chem/cg/sales/voet.html. Archived 2016-03-03 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ Alberts B.; et al. (2002). Molecular Biology of the Cell, 4th Ed. Garland Science. ISBN 978-0-8153-4072-0.
  3. ^ Voet D., Voet J. G. (2004-03-09). Biochemistry, 3rd Ed. Wiley. ISBN 978-0-471-19350-0.
  4. ^ Atkins P., de Paula J. (2006). Physical chemistry, 8th Ed. San Francisco: W. H. Freeman. ISBN 978-0-7167-8759-4.
  5. ^ Petrucci, Ralph H.; Harwood, William S.; Herring, F. Geoffrey (2002). General chemistry: principles and modern applications (8th ed.). Upper Saddle River, N.J: Prentice Hall. ISBN 978-0-13-014329-7. LCCN 2001032331. OCLC 46872308.
  6. ^ Laidler K. J. (1978). Physical chemistry with biological applications. Benjamin/Cummings. Menlo Park. ISBN 978-0-8053-5680-9.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)