Antimonite

File:Antymonit (stibnit) - Baia Mare, kop. Herja, Rumunia.jpg

Antimonite (stibnit) - Baia Mare, Herja Mine, Romania.

In chemistry, antimonite refers to a salt of antimony(III), such as NaSb(OH)₄ and NaSbO₂ (meta-antimonite), which can be prepared by reacting alkali with antimony trioxide, Sb₂O₃.<ref name = "Wiberg&Holleman">Egon Wiberg, Arnold Frederick Holleman (2001) Inorganic Chemistry, Elsevier Template:ISBN</ref> These are formally salts of antimonous acid,<ref>Template:Greenwood&Earnshaw</ref> Sb(OH)₃, whose existence in solution is dubious. Attempts to isolate it generally form Sb₂O₃·xH₂O, antimony(III) oxide hydrate, which slowly transforms into Sb₂O₃.<ref name = "Wiberg&Holleman"/>

In geology, the mineral stibnite, Sb₂S₃, is sometimes called antimonite.

Antimonites can be compared to antimonates, which contain antimony in the +5 oxidation state.