Covalent Structures of Phosphorus: A Comprehensive Theoretical Study

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Abstract
Starting from earlier work by Baudler we introduce a chemical heuristic for the systematic deduction and classification of covalent partial structures of phosphorus in polycyclic phosphanes, phosphorus‐rich polycyclic phosphides, and allotropes of phosphorus except the black forms. This approach is used to direct ab initio techniques (which also confirm the rules) in the quest for as yet unknown forms of molecular or macromolecular phosphorus. Based on calculated stabilities of systematically generated structural alternatives we rationalize the stabilities of Hittorf's phosphorus and of molecular P4, confirm the possible existence of at least one other crystalline allotropic form of phosphorus, and provide insight into the probable structure of amorphous red phosphorus. In total, the combined approach of chemical heuristics and large scale ab initio calculations presented in this work supplies a coherent chemical understanding of covalent polyphosphorus structures.

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