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 LiSb(OH)6 and contain the Sb(OH)− 6 anion and that Na2H2Sb2O7·5H2O is actually NaSb(OH)6.[1]
Nomenclature
IUPAC recommendations are that compounds with anions containing antimony(V) have the antimonate(V) suffix or antimonate followed by a charge number, for example the Sb(OH)− 6 ion would be called hexahydridoxidoantimonate(V) or alternatively hexahydroxidoantimonate(1−).[2]
Examples
Some examples of antimonates and their structures are shown below:
Li3SbO4 has a NaCl superstructure with isolated Sb 4O12− 16 units.[3]
Sodium antimonate, NaSbO3, has the ilmenite structure, with hexagonal close packed oxide ions with each ion, Na+ and Sb5+ occupying a third of the octahedral sites.[1]
MgSb2O6 has the trirutile structure, which is similar to the rutile structure except that there are two different cations in the lattice.[1]
AlSbO4 has the rutile structure with random occupancy.[1]