Vanadium phosphates are inorganic compounds with the formula VOxPO4 as well related hydrates with the formula VOxPO4(H2O)n. Some of these compounds are used commercially as catalysts for oxidation reactions.
Seven polymorphs are known for anhydrous VOPO4, denoted αI, αII, β, γ, δ, ω, and ε.[a][1][2][3] These materials are composed of the vanadyl group (VO) and phosphate (PO43−). They are yellow, diamagnetic solids, although when contaminated with vanadium(IV) derivatives, samples exhibit EPR signals and have bluish cast. For these materials, vanadyl refers to both vanadium(V) oxo and vanadium(IV) oxo centers, although conventionally vanadyl is reserved for derivatives of VO2+.
Preparation, reactions, and applications of VOPO4•2H2O
Heating a suspension of vanadium pentoxide and phosphoric acid gives VOPO4•2H2O, isolated as a bright yellow solid.[4] According to X-ray crystallography, the V(V) centers are octahedral, with long, weak bonds to aquo ligands.[5]
Reduction of this compound with alcohols gives the vanadium(IV) phosphates.
These compounds are catalysts for the oxidation of butane to maleic anhydride. A key step in the activation of these catalysts is the conversion of VO(HPO4)•0.5H2O to the pyrophosphate (VO)2(P2O7). This material (CAS#58834-75-6) is called vanadyl pyrophosphate as well as vanadium oxide pyrophosphate.[6]
Several vanadium(IV) phosphates are known. These materials are typically blue. In these species, the phosphate anion is singly or doubly protonated. Examples include the hydrogenphosphates, VOHPO4.4H2O and VO(HPO4).0.5H2O, as well as the dihydrogen phosphate VO(H2PO4)2.
Vanadium(III) phosphates lacking the oxo ligand have the formula VPO4•H2O and VPO4•2H2O. The monohydrate is isostructural with MgSO4•H2O[8] It adopts the structure of the corresponding hydrated aluminium phosphate. Oxidation of VPO4•H2O yields the two-electron electroactive [9] material ε-VOPO4[10]
^Gautier, Romain; Gautier, Régis; Hernandez, Olivier; Audebrand, Nathalie; Bataille, Thierry; Roiland, Claire; Elkaïm, Erik; Pollès, Laurent Le; Furet, Eric; Fur, Eric Le (2013-05-15). "DFT-assisted structure determination of α1- and α2-VOPO4: new insights into the understanding of the catalytic performances of vanadium phosphates". Dalton Transactions. 42 (22): 8124–8131. doi:10.1039/C3DT50217A. ISSN1477-9234. PMID23584576.
^Brody, John F.; Johnson, Jack W.; Vaughey, Jack (2007-01-05), Murphy, Donald W.; Interrante, Leonard V. (eds.), "Vanadyl Phosphates and Organylphosphonates", Inorganic Syntheses, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., pp. 241–248, doi:10.1002/9780470132616.ch45, ISBN9780470132616
^Tietze, Hr (1981). "The crystal and molecular structure of oxovanadium(V) orthophosphate dihydrate, VOPO4(H2O)2". Australian Journal of Chemistry. 34 (10): 2035. doi:10.1071/CH9812035. ISSN0004-9425.
^Dummer, N.F.; Bartley, J.K.; Hutchings, G.J. (2011), "Vanadium Phosphate Materials as Selective Oxidation Catalysts", Advances in Catalysis, vol. 54, Elsevier, pp. 189–247, doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-387772-7.00004-6, ISBN9780123877727
^Koo, Hyun-Joo; Whangbo, Myung-Hwan; VerNooy, Paul D.; Torardi, Charlie C.; Marshall, William J. (2002). "Flux Growth of Vanadyl Pyrophosphate, (VO)2P2O7, and Spin Dimer Analysis of the Spin Exchange Interactions of (VO)2P2O7 and Vanadyl Hydrogen Phosphate, VO(HPO4)·0.5H2O". Inorganic Chemistry. 41 (18): 4664–4672. doi:10.1021/ic020249c. ISSN0020-1669. PMID12206689.
^Vaughey, J. T.; Harrison, William T. A.; Jacobson, Allan J.; Goshorn, David P.; Johnson, Jack W. (1994). "Synthesis, structure, and properties of two vanadium(III) phosphates: V(PO4)•H2O and V1.23(PO4)(OH)0.69(H2O)0.31•0.33H2O". Inorganic Chemistry. 33 (11): 2481–2487. doi:10.1021/ic00089a027. ISSN0020-1669.
^Song, Y; Zavalij, PY; Whittingham, MS (2005). "ε-VOPO4: electrochemical synthesis and enhanced cathode behavior". Journal of the Electrochemical Society. 152 (4): A721–A728. Bibcode:2005JElS..152A.721S. doi:10.1149/1.1862265.
^Lim, S; Vaughey, J. T.; Harrison, W. T. A.; Dussack, L. L.; Jacobson, A. J.; Johnson, J. W. (1996). "Redox transformations of simple vanadium phosphates: the synthesis of ε-VOPO4". Solid State Ionics. 84 (3–4): 219–226. doi:10.1016/0167-2738(96)00007-0.