Antimonite

This article is about the class of chemical salts. For the mineral, see stibnite.

In chemistry, antimonite refers to a salt of antimony(III), such as NaSb(OH)₄ and NaSbO₂ (meta-antimonite), which can be prepared by reacting alkali with antimony trioxide, Sb₂O₃.^[1] These are formally salts of antimonous acid,^[2] Sb(OH)₃, whose existence in solution is dubious. Attempts to isolate it generally form Sb₂O₃·xH₂O, antimony(III) oxide hydrate, which slowly transforms into Sb₂O₃.^[1]

Antimonite (stibnit) - Baia Mare, Herja Mine, Romania.

In geology, the mineral stibnite, Sb₂S₃, is sometimes called antimonite.

Antimonites can be compared to antimonates, which contain antimony in the +5 oxidation state.