Arsenic and antimony derivatives

1,138,332. Oxycarboxylates of antimony and arsenic. UNITED STATES BORAX & CHEMICAL CORP. 9 Feb., 1966 [11 Feb., 1965], No. 6001/65. Heading C2C. The invention comprises compounds of arsenic and antimony of the formula (RO) n -M-(O-D-X) 3-n wherein M is As or Sb, n is 0, 1 or 2, R is an alkyl, aryl, or alkenyl group, D is a divalent metal or divalent metal radical and X is a carboxylic acid group. Specified values of D are Co, Zn, Ca, Mg, Pb, Cd, Ba, Cu and Mn and the radical -ZrO-. Preferred radicals R are those containing up to 20 carbon atoms and preferred acids are those containing at least 6 carbon atoms. The compounds are prepared by heating a divalent metal salt of a carboxylic acid and an ester of arsenious or antimonious acid. The divalent metal salt may be derived from two different acids or may be a basic salt; in the latter instance a further carboxylic acid may be added to the reaction mixture. The alcohol, phenol or ester liberated in the reaction may be removed, e.g. by distillation. When trialkyl arsenite ester reactants are used, the ester may be formed in situ from the alcohol and arsenious oxide. The divalent metal salt reactants may be obtained from the metal oxide and the carboxylic acid.