Pnictogene

Pnictogen, or pnictogen, is the name given to the elements of Group 15 in the periodic table, commonly known as the nitrogen group. The members are nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), arsenic (As), antimony (Sb), bismuth (Bi), and the synthetic element moscovium (Mc). They share a valence electron configuration of ns2np3 and form a broad range of covalent compounds.

In chemistry, pnictogens typically exhibit oxidation states from -3 to +5. They form hydrides such as ammonia (NH3), phosphine (PH3), arsine (AsH3), stibine (SbH3), and bismuthine (BiH3) with varying stability. They also produce a family of oxides and acids, including nitrogen oxides and phosphorus oxides. Electronegativities generally decrease down the group, while atomic size increases, contributing to trends in bond strength and reactivity. The heavier elements in the group tend to show more metallic character and different bonding behavior compared with nitrogen and phosphorus.

Occurrence and uses vary across the group. Nitrogen is the most abundant element in Earth’s atmosphere and is essential for life. Phosphorus is a critical nutrient and a key component of fertilizers and biological molecules. Arsenic occurs in minerals and is highly toxic, while antimony and especially bismuth are used in alloys, metallurgy, and some applications in electronics and cosmetics. Moscovium is synthetic, extremely radioactive, and currently studied mainly for basic scientific research rather than practical applications.

The term pnictogen derives from the Greek word pnigein, meaning to choke, reflecting nitrogen’s choking property and linking the group as a whole to a common chemical lineage.