Antimonate


In chemistry an antimonate is a compound which contains a metallic element, oxygen, and antimony in an oxidation state of +5. These compounds adopt polymeric structures with M-O-Sb linkages. They can be considered to be derivatives of the hypothetical antimonic acid H3SbO4, or combinations of metal oxides and antimony pentoxide, Sb2O5.
Historically these compounds were assumed to be analogous to the phosphates and formulas such as LiSbO3·3H2O and Na2H2Sb2O7·5H2O were used and the compounds described as hydrated meta-antimonates and pyro-antimonates. LiSbO3·3H2O is now known to be LiSb6 and contain the anion and that Na2H2Sb2O7·5H2O is actually NaSb6.
Some examples of antimonates and their structures are shown below:
IUPAC recommendations are that compounds with anions containing antimony have the antimonate suffix or antimonate followed by a charge number, for example the ion would be called hexahydridoxidoantimonate or alternatively hexahydroxidoantimonate.