Phosphorous trihalides, PX₃, are produced from the direct reaction of phosphorous with the appropriate halogen, Equation 1. The fluoride is readily made from the halide exchange reaction of PCl₃ with fluoride salts, Equation 2. Mixed trihalides are formed by halide exchange, Equation 3.

(1)

(2)

(3)

A summary of the physical properties of the phosphorous trihalides is given in Table 1. All the compounds have a pyramidal structure in the vapor phase and in solution.

The phosphorous trihalides hydrolyze to phosphoric acid, Equation 4, and undergo alcoholysis to form the trialkyl phosphite derivative, Equation 5. Phosphorous trifluoride is only slowly hydrolyzed by water, but reacts readily with alakaline solutions. In contrast, phosphorus triiodide is an unstable red solid that reacts violently with water. Phosphorous trichloride in particular is an excellent synthon for most trialkyl phosphines, Equation 6.

(4)

(5)

(6)

As with other P(III) compounds such as trialkyl phosphines, phosphorous trihalides can be oxidized to the analogous phosphene oxide, e.g., Equation 7.

(7)

Phosphorous trihalides form Lewis acid-base complexes with main group metals, but the bonding to dⁿ (n ≠ 0) transition metals occurs in the same manner to that of trialkyl phosphine, i.e., with dπ-pπ back donation. In fact one of the first examples of complexation of phosphorous to a low oxidation metal was the formation of PF₃ complexes with Fe-porphyrin.

The reaction of white phosphorous with excess halogen yields the pentahalides, Equation 8. However, the pentafluoride is best prepared by halide exchange, Equation 9.

(8)

(9)

The pentaiodide is unknown, however, selected physical properties are given for the others in Table 2.

The structures of the phosphorous pentahalides are all trigonal bipyramidal in the gas phase (Figure 1). Phosphorous pentafluoride maintains the trigonal bipyramidal structure in solid state, but the chloride and bromide are ionic solids, [PCl₄]⁺[PCl₆]^- and [PBr₄]Br (Figure 2), respectively. The tetrahedral [PCl₄]⁺ ion is also formed with the reaction of PCl₅ with other chloride ion acceptors, Equation 10 and Equation 11.

(10)

(11)

Figure 1: The structures of (a) PF₅ and (b) PCl₅.

Figure 2: The crystal structure of phosphorous pentabromide.

All of the pentahalides undergo thermal decomposition, Equation 12.

(12)

Careful hydrolysis of the pentahalides yields the oxide of the appropriate trihalide, Equation 13, while excess hydrolysis yields phosphoric acid, Equation 14.

(13)

(14)