Coordination Chemistry
These species are produced in two steps. First phosphorus pentasulfide is treated with suitable alcohols to give the dithiophosphoric acid. A wide variety of alcohols can be employed, which allows the lipophilicity of the final zinc product to be fine-tuned. The resulting dithiophosphate is then neutralized by adding zinc oxide:
- 2 (RO)2PS2H + ZnO → Zn2 + H2O
In Zn2, the zinc is tetrahedral. This monomeric compound also exists in equilibrium with dimers and oligomers caused by opening of the four-membered ZnS2P ring. Partial hydrolysis gives the cluster Zn4O6, which adopts the structure seen for basic zinc acetate.
Zinc diethyldithiophosphate, Zn2, is a polymeric solid consisting of linear chains.
Read more about this topic: Zinc Dithiophosphate
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