COORDINATION CHEMISTRY OF STIBINE AND BISMUTHINE LIGANDS

The synthesis of the common monodentate and bidentate stibines and bismuthines, and of multidentates containing one or more antimony or bismuth donor are briefly reviewed. The detailed coordination chemistries of SbH3, trialkyl- and triaryl-stibines and -bismuthines are described, followed by a treatment of distibine complexes and complexes of multidentates containing antimony (and rarely bismuth) in combination with other group 15 or 16 donors. The available X-ray structural data, antimony-121 Mossbauer results, and UV-visible data on these complexes are compiled. Throughout the article comparisons are drawn with complexes of lighter group 15 donor ligands and the considerable differences between stibine ligands and the more familiar phosphines and arsines are highlighted.