Nanoparticulate transition-metal phosphides remain an unexplored, though emerging area of interest on the materials landscape, due principally to their promising magnetic and catalytic properties. This review describes synthetic strategies for the formation of both supported and unsupported transition-metal phosphide nanoparticles, provides a summary of their relevant magnetic and catalytic properties, and indicates new directions for exploration.

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Nanoparticles of iron phosphide have been prepared through a new strategy involving the reductive annealing of nanoparticulate iron phosphate precursors cast onto atomically flat mica surfaces. This route appears to be general for a range of transition metals and pnicogens and avoids the use of highly toxic and pyrophoric agents such as Pn(SiMe3)3 (Pn = P, As), which are commonly employed in the synthesis of pnictide nanoparticles.

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