P2O3
phosphorus trioxide · phosphorous oxide, phosphorus(III) oxide
Phosphorus trioxide is a metastable insulating oxide of phosphorus used primarily as a chemical intermediate in industrial synthesis.
About phosphorus trioxide
Phosphorus trioxide is a metastable inorganic compound that serves as a key chemical intermediate. Characterized by its insulating electronic nature, it plays a vital role in the synthesis of various phosphorus-based derivatives and chemical reagents.
Due to its specific structural properties and reactivity, this compound is primarily utilized in industrial chemical manufacturing. Its behavior as a wide-band-gap material highlights its distinct electronic profile compared to more conductive phosphorus allotropes.
Key Properties
Cross-validated computational properties for phosphorus trioxide, aggregated across 3 databases.
Band GapEnergy needed to move an electron from the valence band to the conduction band. Lower or zero values tend to behave more metallic; larger gaps are more insulating or semiconducting.
Energy Above HullThermodynamic distance from the most stable set of competing phases. 0 eV/atom is on the convex hull; small positive values may still be experimentally accessible.
StabilityA plain-language summary of the best reported energy-above-hull result. It reflects whether the lowest-energy structure is on, near, or far from the stability hull.
StructuresCount of reported calculated crystal structures for this formula, including alternate polymorphs, source databases, and observed space groups.
Synthesis Routes
Literature-extracted synthesis procedures targeting P2O3.
Applications
Where phosphorus trioxide is used.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about phosphorus trioxide, answered from cross-validated data.
What is P2O3?
Phosphorus trioxide is a metastable insulating oxide of phosphorus used primarily as a chemical intermediate in industrial synthesis.
What is P2O3 used for?
What is the band gap of P2O3?
Is P2O3 a metal, semiconductor, or insulator?
Is P2O3 thermodynamically stable?
How many polymorphs of P2O3 are known?
How is P2O3 synthesized?
What elements does P2O3 contain?
Where does the data for P2O3 come from?
How It Compares
As a metastable oxide, phosphorus trioxide occupies a unique position in the phosphorus-oxygen system, serving as a primary precursor for phosphorous acid rather than acting as a stable end-product like its higher-valence counterparts.
Data sources & attribution
- latticegraph — Lattice Graph Materials Intelligence Platform
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