Reduced Inorganic Phosphorus Compounds

Both inorganic and organic phosphorus compounds are used relatively infrequently but their reducing properties are sometimes very specific. 

Some inorganic compounds [NaHC03, Pb(C2H5)4, Fe(CO)5, SbCb, and the phosphorus compounds already mentioned, for example] have a great retardancy effect. It is believed that they are reduced to metals or they decompose into metal oxides in situ and function as heterogeneous catalysts of radical recombination reactions in the gas phase ... 

Biodegradation. Under aerobic conditions, biodegradation results in the mineralization of an organic compound to carbon dioxide and water and—if the compound contains nitrogen, sulfur, phosphorus, or chlorine—with the release of ammonium (or nitrite), sulfate, phosphate, or chloride. These inorganic products may then enter well-established geochemical cycles. Under anaerobic conditions, methane may be formed in addition to carbon dioxide, and sulfate may be reduced to sulhde. 

SAFETY PROFILE A poison. Flammable by chemical reaction an oxidizer. Explosive reaction with hydrogen peroxide, chlorine + ethylene. Reacts violently with molten potassium, molten sodium, S, (H2S + BaO + air). Forms explosive mixtures with nonmetals [e.g., phosphorus (impact-sensitive), sulfur (friction-sensitive)]. Incompatible with alkali metals, reducing materials. Dangerous when heated to decomposition it emits highly toxic fumes of Hg. See also MERCURY COMPOUNDS, INORGANIC. 

Chlathrates may, in a way, be regarded as supramolecular adducts in the crystalline state. C ) forms a series of these compounds which in most cases are obtained by simple cocrystallization of their constituents. Known examples are the inclusion compounds with hydrocarbons tike pentane or nonane, etc., but chlathrates of Qo or C70 have also been found with hydroquinone in the presence of benzene. In these cases the fullerene molecules occupy interstitial spaces within the crystal structure of hydroquinone and form donor-acceptor complexes. Further inclusion compounds with fuUerenes are known for ferrocene and other inorganic substances such as sulfur (Sg), white phosphorus (P4) or complexes hke (PhCN)2PdCl2 and PhsPAuCl (also refer to Section 2.5.3). For the complex of > with ferrocene the crystal structure of the first is found with the latter inserted into the given gaps. The whole stracture can only exist because ferrocene is too weak a reducing agent to transform > into Qo. 

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