Phosphorus L_2,3-edge XANES: overview of reference compounds

Synchrotron-based X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy is becoming an increasingly used tool for the element speciation in complex samples. For phosphorus (P) almost all XANES measurements have been carried out at the K-edge. The small number of distinctive features at the P K-edge makes in some cases the identification of different P forms difficult or impossible. As indicated by a few previous studies, the P L_2,3-edge spectra were richer in spectral features than those of the P K-edge. However, experimentally consistent spectra of a wide range of reference compounds have not been published so far. In this study a library of spectral features is presented for a number of mineral P, organic P and P-bearing minerals for fingerprinting identification. Furthermore, the effect of radiation damage is shown for three compounds and measures are proposed to reduce it. The spectra library provided lays a basis for the identification of individual P forms in samples of unknown composition for a variety of scientific areas.