It is a yellow solid, although even slightly impure samples have a greenish coloration.

It is also known as dodeca molybdophosphoric acid or PMA, is a yellow-green chemical compound that is freely soluble in water and polar organic solvents such as ethanol.

The color intensifies with increasing number of double bonds in the molecule being stained.

[5] Phosphomolybdic acid is also occasionally used in acid-catalyzed reactions in organic synthesis.

It has been shown to be a good catalyst for the Skraup reaction for the synthesis of substituted quinolines.