Cadmium phenylphosphonates: preparation, characterisation and in situ investigation

Abstract

The crystalline cadmium phenylphosphonates Cd(O₃PPh)·H₂O (1), Cd(HO₃PPh)₂ (2), and Cd(HO₃PPh)₂(H₂O₃PPh) (3) can be synthesized via solid state reactions by grinding together cadmium acetate with the respective equivalents of phenylphosphonic acid. Phosphonates (2) and (3) have not been obtained via any other synthesis method so far. The determination of the crystal structure of the new compounds (2) and (3) based on powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) data is reported. The milling reactions were investigated using in situ synchrotron PXRD. Based on these data, an identification of intermediates and a detailed analysis of the underlying mechanisms were possible.