Inorganic coordination polymers. VII. Zinc(II) dimethyl-, methylphenyl-, and diphenylphosphinates

Zinc dimethyl-, methylphenyl-, and diphenylphosphinate have been prepared by the reaction of Zn(C₂H₃O₂)₂·2H₂O with the appropriate acid or salt and found to exist in amorphous and crystalline forms. Zinc methylphenylphosphinate, the most tractable, exhibits many of the physical attributes of polymeric materials, both in solution and bulk form, supporting our earlier suggestion that these compounds are double-bridged coordination polymers. Thermogravimetric analysis indicates initial decomposition temperatures of 440, 425, and 490°C., respectively, for the three polymers, but long-term studies show initiation of decomposition at somewhat lower temperatures.