DiHydrogen phosphide, sodium

Sodium diformylnitromethanide hydrate, 1073a Sodium dihydrobis(2-methoxyethoxy)aluminate, 2570 Sodium dihydrogen phosphide, 4468... 

Alkali Metals. The well-known reaction of PH3 with solutions of alkali metals in liquid NH3 leads to the formation of pure, crystalline dihydrogen phosphides, MPH2, where M = Li, Na [70 to 72], K [70], Rb [70, 73], and Cs [70]. An excess of PH3 is recommended to obtain phosphides which are free of alkali amides [70]. Sodium in diethyl ether/anthracene mixtures or potassium in THF/naphthalene mixtures also give high yields of the corresponding dihydrogen phosphides [74]. Additional details concerning the syntheses of solutions of PHg and the isolation of solid phosphides under various experimental conditions are described in Section 1.2.4.1, p. 102. Earlier reactions of PH3 with Na are described in Natrium Erg.-Bd. 4, 1967, pp. 1541/2. 

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