Facile storage and release of white phosphorus and yellow arsenic

Abstract

The storage of metastable compounds and modifications of elements are of great interest for synthesis and other, e.g., semiconductor, applications. Whereas white phosphorus is a metastable modification that can be stored under certain conditions, storage of the extremely (light- and air-)sensitive form of arsenic, yellow arsenic, is a challenge rarely tackled so far. Herein, we report on the facile storage and release of these tetrahedral E₄ molecules (E = P, As) using activated carbon as a porous storage material. These loaded materials are air- and light-stable and have been comprehensively characterized by solid-state ³¹P{¹H} MAS NMR spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction analysis, nitrogen adsorption measurements, and thermogravimetric analysis. Additionally, we show that these materials can be used as a suitable E₄ source for releasing intact white phosphorus or yellow arsenic, enabling subsequent reactions in solution. Because the uptake and release of E₄ are reversible, these materials are excellent carriers of these highly reactive modifications.