Potassium phosphide

Potassium phosphide is an inorganic semiconductor compound with the formula K₃P. It appears as a green crystalline solid or powder.^[2] It reacts violently with water (even on contact with air) and is toxic via ingestion, inhalation and skin absorption.^[3] It has a hexagonal structure.^[1]

Potassium phosphide

Crystal structure of potassium phosphide (K3P)
Names
Other names Tripotassium;phosphanide Tripotassium;phosphorus(3-) Tripotassium phosphide
Identifiers
CAS Number	20770-41-6
3D model (JSmol)	Interactive image
ChemSpider	11219118
ECHA InfoCard	100.040.004
EC Number	244-021-5
PubChem CID	22182308
UNII	2F09226A2C
CompTox Dashboard (EPA)	DTXSID6066652
InChI InChI=1S/3K.P/q3*+1;-3 Key: YCIITCDBMPCIPR-UHFFFAOYSA-N
SMILES [P-3].[K+].[K+].[K+]
Properties
Chemical formula	K3P
Molar mass	148.269 g mol−1
Appearance	Green crystalline solid or powder
Thermochemistry[1]
Std molar entropy (S⦵298)	49.8 J mol−1 K−1
Std enthalpy of formation (ΔfH⦵298)	−1.77 kJ mol−1
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa). Infobox references

Synthesis

Potassium phosphide can be synthesised by a reaction under controlled conditions starting from the two elements. Simply fusing potassium and phorsphorus does not yield pure K₃P:^[4]

12 K + P₄ → 4 K₃P

Applications

Potassium phosphide is used in high power, high frequency applications and also in laser diodes.^[2]