Reduction of Sodium Cyclotriphosphate by Metallic Molybdenum

The products of the reaction between sodium cyclotriphosphate and powder Mo in vacuum at temperatures up to 1000‡C were characterized by x-ray diffraction and31P nuclear magnetic resonance. Above 650–700‡C, the reaction yields MoP and amorphous sodium phosphates (orthophosphate, pyrophosphate, and cyclotetraphosphate) containing Mo in the oxidation state 5+. At the Mo content ensuring the largest percentage of sodium cyclotetraphosphate in the reaction products, these also contain a small amount of elemental phosphorus.