Products of Degradation of Black Phosphorus in Protic Solvents

Deterioration of the surface of black phosphorus (BP) caused by ambient atmosphere is an undesired process, limiting broader use of BP in many areas. The mechanism of BP degradation was explained theoretically, and the oxidized materials were thoroughly characterized experimentally. However, the surface analysis techniques introduce only a limited insight into the real state of the material. Here, we report a thorough analysis of the composition of mixtures obtained after a prolonged exposure of suspensions of BP to atmospheric oxygen with the aim to further disclosure the processes involved in the decomposition process. The results are compared with the predicted structures of the oxidized material and confirm the results of the theoretical calculations. The comparison of reactivity of BP with reactivity of white phosphorus under similar conditions concludes a similar distribution of the products in both cases.