Phosphonic, arsonic, stibonic, and bismuthonic acids: a unified perspective on a fragmented family of group 15 oxyacids
- 1Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California Santa Cruz Santa Cruz California 95064 USA
Abstract
Organopnictonic acids are compounds with the general formula RPnO3H2 where Pn = P, As, Sb, Bi. They comprise a family of compounds with many useful properties and also provide a powerful framework for understanding fundamental periodic trends in bonding, structure, and reactivity across group 15. In this review, we present a comprehensive and critical perspective on phosphonic, arsonic, stibonic, and bismuthonic acids, covering the development of the field from its earliest foundations to the present day and, for the first time, unifying these oxyacids within a single conceptual framework. We describe the electronic and structural principles governing pnictogen–oxygen bonding, emphasizing the progressive attenuation of multiple bonding, and the growing propensity for hydrolysis, aggregation, and coordination sphere expansion on descending the group. The well-established chemistry of phosphonic and arsonic acids is treated concisely to enable direct comparison to the emerging experimental developments in the chemistry of stibonic and bismuthonic acids. By conducting a systematic comparison of phosphorus and arsenic systems with the evolving chemistry of antimony and the nascent exploration of bismuth analogues, we clarify fundamental constraints, expose unresolved questions, and map promising avenues for future progress in group 15 chemistry.
Related
- Surface functionalization of soft photocathodes with an azido-phosphonic acid monolayer for robust and efficient solar-to-H2 conversion
- AI Literacy among Undergraduate Chemistry Students from a Social Cognitive Perspective
- Nanoscale perspective on the stress-corrosion cracking behavior of a peak-aged 7XXX-Al alloy
- Normalized Nucleic Acid Payload in Lipid Nanoparticles: A Perspective on the Harmonization of Published Data
- Prediction of asphaltene onset pressure and precipitation amount using tree-based stacking–blending ensemble meta-learners: a flow assurance perspective
BibTeX
@article{tra2026phosphonic,
title = {{Phosphonic, arsonic, stibonic, and bismuthonic acids: a unified perspective on a fragmented family of group 15 oxyacids}},
author = {Bi Youan E. Tra and Timothy C. Johnstone},
journal = {Inorganic chemistry frontiers},
year = {2026},
month = nov,
doi = {10.1039/d6qi01864e},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13728944},
note = {CC BY-NC},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Phosphonic, arsonic, stibonic, and bismuthonic acids: a unified perspective on a fragmented family of group 15 oxyacids
AU - Bi Youan E. Tra
AU - Timothy C. Johnstone
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/11/03
JO - Inorganic chemistry frontiers
DO - 10.1039/d6qi01864e
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13728944
AB - Organopnictonic acids are compounds with the general formula RPnO3H2 where Pn = P, As, Sb, Bi. They comprise a family of compounds with many useful properties and also provide a powerful framework for understanding fundamental periodic trends in bonding, structure, and reactivity across group 15. In this review, we present a comprehensive and critical perspective on phosphonic, arsonic, stibonic, and bismuthonic acids, covering the development of the field from its earliest foundations to the present day and, for the first time, unifying these oxyacids within a single conceptual framework. We describe the electronic and structural principles governing pnictogen–oxygen bonding, emphasizing the progressive attenuation of multiple bonding, and the growing propensity for hydrolysis, aggregation, and coordination sphere expansion on descending the group. The well-established chemistry of phosphonic and arsonic acids is treated concisely to enable direct comparison to the emerging experimental developments in the chemistry of stibonic and bismuthonic acids. By conducting a systematic comparison of phosphorus and arsenic systems with the evolving chemistry of antimony and the nascent exploration of bismuth analogues, we clarify fundamental constraints, expose unresolved questions, and map promising avenues for future progress in group 15 chemistry.
SN - 2052-1553
ER -