Reaction of metal vapours with inorganic compounds

4 REACTION OF METAL VAPOURS WITH INORGANIC COMPOUNDS 

A number of transition metals have been shown to react with trifluoro-phosphine [280]. Chromium, cobalt, nickel, palladium and iron all produced stable complexes. Manganese and copper also reacted at —196°C, but the products were unstable, and decomposed on warming. Nickel vapour has also been reacted with difluorochlorophosphine, yielding Ni(PF2Cl)2. Complexes produced by reaction with phosphine itself were unstable, decomposing on warming, although when a mixture of phosphine and trifluorophosphine was co-condensed with nickel vapour some mixed complexes were isolated. 

When manganese vapour and a mixture of nitric oxide, trifluorophosphine and boron trifluoride are co-condensed the compound Mn(PF3)(NO)3 is produced [280]. Co-condensation of nickel and carbon dioxide results in the formation of some nickel tetracarbonyl [280]. Burdett and Turner [298] showed that co-condensation of nickel and nitrogen at 20°K resulted in a nickel—nitrogen complex. Moskovits and Ozin [299] have recently repeated the experiment and have shown from the infrared spectrum of the matrix that the major product is NiN2, with the nickel atom bonded to the end of the nitrogen molecule. 

Aluminium vapour and ammonia react at 77°K, presumably producing a triamide [285], which in the warming-up process undergoes secondary reaction resulting in the formation of the nitride and evolution of hydrogen. 

Copper vapour reacts with boron trichloride at 77°K, giving good yields of diboron tetrachloride [300]. Silver vapour reacts in a similar fashion, but yields are much smaller, while nickel produces only an involatile solid. Copper and silver vapours have also been reacted with trichlorophosphine, yielding highly coloured complexes [280]. 

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