Copper(II) phosphate
[Cu2+]3[PO3−4]2 | |
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| Names | |
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| IUPAC name
copper(II) phosphate | |
Other names
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| Identifiers | |
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3D model (JSmol) |
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| ChemSpider | |
| ECHA InfoCard | 100.029.322 |
| EC Number |
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PubChem CID |
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| UNII |
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CompTox Dashboard (EPA) |
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| Properties[1] | |
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| Molar mass |
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| Appearance |
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| Melting point | > 300 °C (572 °F; 573 K)[2] |
| insoluble | |
Solubility product (Ksp) |
1.4×10−37 |
| Solubility in acid | soluble |
| Solubility in ammonium hydroxide | soluble |
| Structure (anhydrous)[3] | |
| triclinic | |
| P1 | |
| 1 | |
a = 4.854 Å, b = 5.29 Å, c = 6.182 Å α = 72.35°, β = 86.99°, γ = 68.54° | |
Lattice volume (V) |
140.95 Å |
Formula units (Z) |
1 |
| Structure (trihydrate) | |
| orthorhombic | |
| Hazards | |
| GHS labelling:[4] | |
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| Warning | |
| H302, H315, H319, H335 | |
| P280, P305+P351+P338 | |
| NFPA 704 (fire diamond) | |
Threshold limit value (TLV) |
1 mg/m3[2] (TWA) |
| NIOSH (US health exposure limits):[5] | |
PEL (Permissible) |
TWA 1 mg/m3 (as Cu) |
REL (Recommended) |
TWA 1 mg/m3 (as Cu) |
IDLH (Immediate danger) |
TWA 100 mg/m3 (as Cu) |
| Related compounds | |
Other cations |
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Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
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Copper(II) phosphate is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula Cu3(PO4)2. It can be regarded as the cupric salt of phosphoric acid. Anhydrous copper(II) phosphate and a trihydrate are blue solids.
Occurrence
[edit]Copper(II) phosphate is relatively commonly encountered as the hydrated species Cu2(PO4)OH, which is green and occurs naturally as the mineral libethenite.[6] Pseudomalachite, Cu5(PO4)2(OH)4, is the most common copper phosphate in nature, typical for some oxidation zones of copper ore deposits.[7]
Structure
[edit]
In terms of structure, copper(II) phosphate is a coordination polymer, as is typical for most metal phosphates. The phosphate center is tetrahedral. In the anhydrous material, the copper centers are pentacoordinate. In the monohydrate, the copper adopts 6-, 5-, and 4-coordinate geometries.[8]
Preparation
[edit]Hydrated copper(II) phosphate precipitates upon addition of a solution of alkali metal phosphate to an aqueous solution of copper(II) sulfate.[9] The anhydrous material can be produced by a high-temperature (1,000 °C (1,830 °F)) reaction between diammonium phosphate and copper(II) oxide.[3]
- 2 (NH4)2HPO4 + 3 CuO → Cu3(PO4)2 + 3 H2O + 4 NH3
In laboratories, copper phosphate is prepared by the addition of phosphoric acid to an alkali copper salt such as copper hydroxide, or basic copper carbonate:[citation needed]
- 3 Cu(OH)2 + 2 H3PO4 → 6 H2O + Cu3(PO4)2
- 3 Cu2(OH)2CO3 + 4 H3PO4 → 2 Cu3(PO4)2 + 3 CO2 + 9 H2O
Uses
[edit]Copper(II) phosphate has many uses. Due to it being a copper metal salt it can be used as a fungicide; it works by denaturating proteins and enzymes in cells of pathogens. Many other copper salts, such as copper(II) sulfate (CuSO4), are used as fungicides.[10]
Another use of copper(II) phosphate is as a fertilizer. Copper is one of the 16 essential elements required for plant growth. Copper(II) phosphate supplies the plant with both phosphorus and copper, which stimulates growth.[11]
References
[edit]- ↑ Haynes, William M., ed. (2016). CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics (97th ed.). Boca Raton, Florida: CRC Press. pp. 4–60, 5–177. ISBN 9781498754293.
- 1 2 3 "SDS - Copper (II) phosphate" (pdf). www.fishersci.com. ThermoFisher Scientific. 24 December 2025. p. 3. Retrieved 8 May 2026.
- 1 2 Shoemaker, G. L.; Anderson, J. B.; Kostiner, E. (15 September 1977). "Copper(II) phosphate". Acta Crystallographica Section B. 33 (9): 2969–2972. doi:10.1107/S0567740877010012.
- ↑ "SDS - Copper(II) phosphate" (PDF). angenechemical.com. Angene. 1 May 2021. Retrieved 8 May 2026.
- ↑ "NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards".
- ↑ "Libethenite". mindat.org.
- ↑ "Pseudomalachite". mindat.org.
- ↑ Effenberger, H. (1985). "Cu3(PO4)2·H2O: Synthese und Kristallstruktur". Journal of Solid State Chemistry. 57 (2): 240–247. Bibcode:1985JSSCh..57..240E. doi:10.1016/S0022-4596(85)80014-1.
- ↑ Richardson, H. Wayne (2000). "Copper Compounds". Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry. Weinheim: Wiley-VCH. doi:10.1002/14356007.a07_567. ISBN 978-3-527-30673-2.
- ↑ "Copper Fungicides for Organic and Conventional Disease Management in Vegetables — Cornell Vegetables". www.vegetables.cornell.edu. Retrieved 2023-08-28.
- ↑ Javadi, Morteza; Beuerlein, James E.; Arscott, Trevor G. (1991). "Effects of Phosphorus and Copper on Factors Influencing Nutrient Uptake, Photosynthesis, and Grain Yield of Wheat". Ohio Journal of Science. 91 (5): 191–194. hdl:1811/23474. ISSN 0030-0950.