Halides of Phosphorus, Arsenic, Antimony, and Bismuth

This article is concerned mainly with the simple halides of phosphorus, arsenic, antimony, and bismuth compounds that also contain other elements or groups will be considered only to a limited extent. Nitrogen compounds show special features associated with the absence in nitrogen of d electrons for bonding, and are not easily discussed together with compounds of the heavier elements they will therefore be omitted. Bismuth has metallic properties that differentiate its compounds from those of elements in the middle of the group the break in properties between the compounds of antimony and bismuth is not, however, so marked as that between compounds of nitrogen and phosphorus. 

This chapter deals with the solid-state structures of the element(III) halides and halogenoanions of arsenic, antimony, and bismuth with brief mention of some compounds of phosphorus where relevant. A... 

When the phosphorus halide is PI3, this reaction is a convenient way to produce HI. Arsenic trihalides hydrolyze in an analogous way but the trihalides of antimony and bismuth react to produce oxyhalides. 

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