carbonpnictogen

Carbonpnictogen is a term used to describe chemical relationships and compounds that involve carbon bonded to elements of group 15 of the periodic table, the pnictogens. Specifically, it covers molecules in which a carbon atom is covalently connected to a pnictogen such as nitrogen, phosphorus, arsenic, antimony, or bismuth. The concept encompasses a range of bonding motifs, including C–N, C–P, C–As, C–Sb, and C–Bi bonds, as well as related systems containing these linkages in more complex frameworks such as heterocycles and cumulenes.

Bonding motifs in carbonpnictogen chemistry are diverse. C–N bonds are widespread in organic chemistry, underpinning amines, imines, nitriles, amides, and related functional groups. C–P bonds are central to organophosphorus chemistry, appearing in phosphines, phosphoranes, phosphinides, and phosphorus-containing polymers. Bonds to heavier pnictogens (C–As, C–Sb, C–Bi) occur in organoarsenic, organosb or organobismuth compounds and in certain materials and coordination systems, though these are generally less common and more challenging to handle due to reactivity and toxicity concerns.

Synthesis and applications of carbonpnictogen compounds span several contexts. Methods to form C–pnictogen bonds include nucleophilic additions to electrophilic centers, cross-coupling and condensation strategies, and insertion or cycloaddition reactions. Applications include catalysis with phosphorus- or nitrogen-based ligands, medicinal and agricultural chemistry involving organonitrogen and organophosphorus motifs, and the development of materials with pnictogen-influenced electronic or optical properties. Environmental and safety considerations are particularly relevant for compounds involving heavier pnictogens.

See also: pnictogen, organophosphorus chemistry, organoarsenic chemistry, covalent bonding.