Vanadium antimonate

Abstract

The reaction between equimolar quantities of antimony(III) oxide and vanadium(V) oxide at temperatures between 600 and 800 °C is critically dependent on the presence of oxygen. In oxygen-free nitrogen a rutile-type antimony-deficient compound of composition VSb_{1 –y}O_{4 – 3/2y}(0 < y < 0.1) is formed. Antimony(III) oxide which is present in excess of the amount required for formation of this phase is removed by sublimation. Similar reactions in commercial nitrogen or sealed tubes give biphasic products composed of the non-stoicheiometric rutile-type phase containing less oxygen, VSb_{1 –y}O_{4 – 2y}(0 < y < 0.1), and antimony tetroxide. Reactions performed in oxygen give homogeneously oxidised products. The stoicheiometric compound of composition VSbO₄ has not been observed in any of the products. The characteristics of the observed reaction products are described and the nature of the solid-state reaction is discussed.