Triphenylstibine is the

chemical compound A chemical compound is a chemical substance composed of many identical molecules (or molecular entities) containing atoms from more than one chemical element held together by chemical bonds. A molecule consisting of atoms of only one element ...

with the

formula In science, a formula is a concise way of expressing information symbolically, as in a mathematical formula or a ''chemical formula''. The informal use of the term ''formula'' in science refers to the general construct of a relationship betwe ...

Sb(C₆H₅)₃, which is often abbreviated SbPh₃, This colourless solid is a common organoantimony(III) compound. It serves as a

ligand In coordination chemistry, a ligand is an ion or molecule with a functional group that binds to a central metal atom to form a coordination complex. The bonding with the metal generally involves formal donation of one or more of the ligand's el ...

coordination chemistry A coordination complex is a chemical compound consisting of a central atom or ion, which is usually metallic and is called the ''coordination centre'', and a surrounding array of chemical bond, bound molecules or ions, that are in turn known as ' ...

and as a reagent in

organic synthesis Organic synthesis is a branch of chemical synthesis concerned with the construction of organic compounds. Organic compounds are molecules consisting of combinations of covalently-linked hydrogen, carbon, oxygen, and nitrogen atoms. Within the gen ...

. Like the related molecules

triphenylamine Triphenylamine is an organic compound with formula (C6H5)3N. In contrast to most amines, triphenylamine is nonbasic. At room temperature it appears as a colorless crystalline solid, with monoclinic structure. It is well miscible in diethyl ether a ...

, triphenylphosphine and triphenylarsine, SbPh₃ is pyramidal with a propeller-like arrangement of the phenyl groups. The Sb-C distances average 2.14-2.17 Å and the C-Sb-C angles are 95°.

Synthesis and reactions

Triphenylstibine was first reported in 1886, being prepared from antimony trichloride and

chlorobenzene Chlorobenzene (abbreviated PhCl) is an aryl chloride and the simplest of the chlorobenzenes, consisting of a benzene ring substituted with one chlorine atom. Its chemical formula is C6H5Cl. This colorless, flammable liquid is a common solvent a ...

: :6 Na + 3 C₆H₅Cl + SbCl₃ → (C₆H₅)₃Sb + 6 NaCl In an alternative method,

phenylmagnesium bromide Phenylmagnesium bromide, with the simplified formula , is a magnesium-containing organometallic compound. It forms colorless crystals. It is commercially available as a solution in diethyl ether or tetrahydrofuran (THF). Phenylmagnesium bromide i ...

is treated with SbCl₃. Upon treatment with antimony trichloride, triphenylstibine undergoes a redistribution reaction: : Stiboranes can be synthesised from triphenylstibine by halogenation: : As confirmed by

X-ray crystallography X-ray crystallography is the experimental science of determining the atomic and molecular structure of a crystal, in which the crystalline structure causes a beam of incident X-rays to Diffraction, diffract in specific directions. By measuring th ...

, features pentacoordinate Sb(V) with trans-diaxial chloride ligands.

References

{{Antimony compounds Organoantimony compounds Phenyl compounds