Free Ethynylarsinidene and Ethynylstibinidene: Heavier Analogues of Nitrenes and Phosphinidenes

Chemistry. 2023 Aug 15;29(46):e202300887. doi: 10.1002/chem.202300887. Epub 2023 Jul 21.

Abstract

Until now, there has been very little experimental evidence for the existence of free arsinidenes and stibinidenes, apart from the hydrides, AsH and SbH. Here, we report on photogeneration of triplet ethynylarsinidene, HCCAs, and triplet ethynylstibinidene, HCCSb, from ethynylarsine and ethynylstibine, respectively, in solid argon matrices. The products were identified using infrared spectroscopy and the associated UV absorption spectra are interpreted with the aid of theoretical predictions.

Keywords: arsinidene; ethynylstibine; ethynylstibinidene; matrix isolation; photochemistry; pnictinidene; stibinidene.