The gas-phase on-line production of phosphorus thiotrihalides, SPX3 and their identification by infrared spectroscopy.

A new route has been devised, leading to the production of phosphorus thiotrihalides, SPX3 where X = F, Br and I by an on-line process using phosphorus thiotrichloride, SPCl3 as starting compound gassed over the following heated salts NaF, KBr and KI at 530, 800 and 440 degrees C, respectively. The products have been characterized by their IR spectra, showing bands with PQR type structure, centered at 985, 762, 744 and 715 cm(-1). These bands are assigned to v1(a1), the S=P stretching fundamental modes of SPF3, SPCl3, SPBr3 and SPI3, respectively.