What is "arsenite"

Arsenite \Ar"sen*ite\, n. [Cf. F. ars['e]nite.] (Chem.) A salt formed by the union of arsenious acid with a base.

n. (context chemistry English) Any oxyanion of trivalent arsenic, especially the AsO₃^3- anion (or protonated derivatives); Any salt containing this anion, or any ester of arsenious acid

In chemistry, an arsenite is a chemical compound containing an arsenic oxoanion where arsenic has oxidation state +3. Note that in fields that commonly deal with groundwater chemistry, arsenite is used generically to identify soluble As anions. IUPAC have recommended that arsenite compounds are to be named as arsenate(III), for example ortho-arsenatite is called trioxidoarsenate(III). Ortho-arsenite contrasts to the corresponding anions of the lighter members of group 15, phosphite which has the structure and nitrite, which is bent.

A number of different arsenite anions are known:

• ortho-arsenite, an ion of arsenous acid, with a pyramidal shape

• meta-arsenite, a polymeric chain anion.

• pyro-arsenite, OAs–O–AsO

• a polyarsenite, [OAs–O–As(O)–O–AsO]

• a polyarsenite, [OAs–O–As(O)–O–As(O)–O–AsO]

• , a polymeric anion

In all of these the geometry around the As centers are approximately trigonal, the lone pair on the arsenic atom is stereochemically active. Well known examples of arsenites include sodium meta-arsenite which contains a polymeric linear anion, , and silver ortho-arsenite, AgAsO, which contains the trigonal anion.

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