Phosphonic, arsonic, stibonic, and bismuthonic acids: a unified perspective on a fragmented family of group 15 oxyacids
Year: 2026
Type: review
Abstract: 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.
Source: Inorganic Chemistry Frontiers
DOI: 10.1039/d6qi01864e
Authors: Bi Youan E. Tra, Timothy C. Johnstone
Institution: University of California, Santa Cruz
Language: English
Subfield: Inorganic Chemistry
Field: Chemistry
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W7225151679