Polonium sulfide explained

Polonium sulfide is an inorganic compound of polonium and sulfur with the chemical formula PoS.^[1] The compound is radioactive and forms black crystals.^{[2] [3]}

Synthesis

1. Passing hydrogen sulfide through an acidic solution of a polonium(II) salt:^{[4] [5]}

PoCl2 + H2S -> PoS + 2HCl

2. Reaction of ammonium sulfide aqueous solution with polonium(II) hydroxide:

(NH4)2S + Po(OH)2 -> 2NH3 + 2H2O + PoS

Physical properties

Polonium sulfide forms black solid crystals, insoluble in water, ammonium sulfide, ethanol, acetone, or toluene.

Chemical properties

Polonium sulfide has strong reducing properties and can be oxidized by chlorine water, bromine water, sodium hypochlorite, and aqua regia. Polonium sulfide is also unstable to heating. It decomposes into elemental polonium and elemental sulfur when heated to 274.85°C in a vacuum:^[6]

PoS -> Po + S

Reacts with concentrated acids:

PoS + 2HCl -> PoCl2 + H2S

Applications

Used in the isolation and purification of polonium.

Notes and References

1. Book: Macintyre . Jane E. . Dictionary of Inorganic Compounds . 23 July 1992 . . 978-0-412-30120-9 . 3779 . 2 November 2021 . en.
2. Sergeevа . V. I. . Stepanova . N. Yu. . Savenko . A. V. . Sapozhnikov . Yu. A. . Use of Iron Sulfide for Removing Polonium from Liquid Radioactive Waste . Radiochemistry . 2015 . 57 . 5 . 534–536 . 10.1134/S1066362215050148 . 59461310 . 2 November 2021.
3. Web site: Polonium - an overview ScienceDirect Topics . . 2 November 2021.
4. Book: Wiberg . Egon . Holleman . A. F. . Wiberg . Nils . Inorganic Chemistry . 2001 . . 978-0-12-352651-9 . 594 . 2 November 2021 . en.
5. Book: Considine . Douglas M. . Considine . Glenn D. . Van Nostrand's Scientific Encyclopedia . 11 December 2013 . . 978-1-4757-6918-0 . 2503 . 2 November 2021 . en.
6. Book: Brown . Susan A. . Brown . Paul L. . The Aqueous Chemistry of Polonium and the Practical Application of its Thermochemistry . 25 September 2019 . . 978-0-12-819309-9 . 10 . 2 November 2021 . en.