Antimony Compounds, Organic

compounds in which the antimony atom is bonded directly to carbon. Organic antimony compounds are known for Sb(III) and Sb(V). The principal types of compounds with Sb(III) are the stibines RSbX₂, R₂SbX, and R₃Sb, where R is an aliphatic or aromatic radical and X is H or a halogen, and the stibine oxides RSbO and R₂SbOSbR₂. The major types of organic compounds with Sb(V), of which the known compounds are mainly aromatic, are ArSbX₄, Ar₂SbX₃, Ar₃SbX₂, Ar₄SbX, ArSb(OH)₂O (arylstibinic acids), Ar₂Sb(OH)O (diarylstibinic acids), and Ar₃SbO (triarylstibine oxides).

One of the major methods of producing organic antimony compounds is the Bart-Schmidt reaction (using diazonium salts):

Other methods include the Nesmeianov reaction and the reaction of organic compounds of lithium and magnesium with antimony halides or organic antimony compounds containing halogens, for example,

SbCl₃ + 3RMgX → R₃Sb + 3MgXCI

(C₆H₅)₃SbCl₂ + 2C₆H₅Li → (C₆H₅)₅Sb + 2LiCl

Aliphatic antimony compounds are readily oxidized, while the aromatic compounds are more stable. The salts of m-chloro-p-acetylaminophenylstibinic acid are used for the treatment of leishmaniasis.