Phosphide

Aluminium phosphide is the chemical compound with the empirical formula AlP. This colourless solid is generally sold as a grey-green-yellow powder due to the presence of impurities arising from hydrolysis and oxidation. This material is a wide band gap semiconductor and is used as a fumigant.

Gallium phosphide (GaP), a phosphide of gallium, is a compound semiconductor material with an indirect band gap of 2.26 eV. Multi-crystalline material has the appearance of pale orange pieces. Undoped single crystal wafers appear clear orange, but strongly doped wafers appear darker due to free-carrier absorption. It is odorless and insoluble in water.

Indium phosphide (InP) is a binary semiconductor composed of indium and phosphorus. It has a face-centered cubic ("zincblende") crystal structure, identical to that of GaAs and most of the III-V semiconductors.

Magtoxin and magnesium phosphide are a dark charcoal gray. The paper covering the polyethylene matrix of the fumi-cel and fumi-strip is yellow-orange in color.

It is Gray powder having no specific odor.

Metal phosphides have been used as rodenticides. A mixture of food and zinc phosphide is left where the rodents can eat it. The acid in the digestive system of the rodent reacts with the phosphide to generate the toxic phosphine gas. This method of vermin control has possible use in places where rodents immune to many of the common poisons have appeared.