Unsupported monomeric stibine oxides (R3SbO) remain undiscovered

Abstract

Attempts to investigate the properties and reactivity of the stiboryl moiety (R₃Sb⁺–O⁻ or R₃SbO), as in monomeric stibine oxides free of interaction with Lewis acids/bases, led us to conclude that this functional group remains undiscovered. X-ray crystallographic, computational, and spectroscopic data indicate that previously proposed H-bonded stibine oxide adducts Mes₃SbO⋯HO₃SR are in fact hydroxystibonium salts [Mes₃SbOH][RSO₃].