Gold phosphide

Gold phosphide is a hypothetical binary inorganic compound of gold metal and phosphorus with the chemical formula AuP. No compound of composition AuP has been probed by X-ray crystallography. The only known gold phosphide is the metastable Au2P3.

Preparation
Gold phosphide was claimed to be prepared by the direct reaction of spongy gold and phosphorus or by passing phosphine into a solution of auric chloride in ether or alcohol:


 * AuCl3 + PH3 -> AuP + 3HCl

Properties
AuP is claimed to decompose in air or with H2O.

Related
A mixed anion phosphide iodide is known: Au7P10I with a trigonal structure.