The discovery of red phosphorus (1847) by Anton von Schrötter (1802-1875)

Abstract

Translated by Ralph E. Oesper.

Solution phase synthesis of the less-known Form II crystalline red phosphorus

“…Red phosphorus (RP) has long been a heated research topic in inorganic chemistry since its first discovery in the 1840s. [1][2][3] Polymorphism of RP has led to several classification strategies, among which consecutive Roman numbers have been most widely adopted. [4][5][6] In 1947, Roth et al distinguished five allotropes of RP by X-ray diffraction and thermal analysis and designated them as Form I to V according to the conversion temperature.…”

Elemental phosphorus for recent sustainable processes: rules and strategies in preparation and applications

“…Schrötter is generally recognized as the discoverer of red phosphorus, even though it was in other people's hands at the time. 30 W. Hittorf first discovered Hittorf's phosphorus in 1865, also known as violet phosphorus. 31 Its crystal structure was not clear until 1966 and was measured by X-ray diffraction (XRD) by V. H. Thurn and H. Krebs.…”

Red Phosphorus: An Up-and-Coming Photocatalyst on the Horizon for Sustainable Energy Development and Environmental Remediation

“…After its discovery in 1847 by Anton von Schrotter, RP has kindled ripples of excitement in the photocatalysis community as the next holy grail for achieving energy and environmental sustainability owing to its abundance, ease of availability, nontoxic nature and excellent kinetic stability under normal conditions. ,, Nevertheless, the red allotrope is poorly characterized as there exists various modifications of RP depending on the synthesis conditions. However, it is generally agreed that RP is constructed of various building units from compounds consisting of polymeric P structures.…”

“…The resulting red material exhibited identical mass as the WP, hence ratifying that RP was in fact, an allotropic modification of the WP. Later, Shrötter prophetically suggested that the discovery of RP may benefit the match industry; it is prevalently used in safety matches today. , The synthesis of RP allotropes can also be retrospected to 1865 when heating of WP in contact with lead at 530 °C in a sealed tube while maintaining the upper tube temperature at 444 °C was undertaken by Johann Hittorf. Sublimation of brilliant opaque rhombohedral or monoclinic reddish-violet crystals subsequently occurred in which it was revealed that P recrystallized from molten lead resulted in the formation of red/violet allotropes, also referred to as Hittorf’s P. , On the other hand, a reaction kinetics study was also undertaken to investigate the transformation of pure liquid WP to RP within a temperature range of 176 and 373 °C.…”