Antimony discontinued. Antimony is resistant to attack by acids. Four allotropes of antimony are known: a stable metallic form and three metastable forms (explosive, black and yellow). Elemental antimony is a brittle, silver-white shiny metalloid. When slowly cooled, molten antimony crystallizes in a trigonal cell, isomorphic with the gray allotrope of arsenic. A rare explosive form of antimony can be formed from the electrolysis of antimony trichloride. When scratched with a sharp implement, an exothermic reaction occurs and white fumes are given off as metallic antimony forms; when rubbed with a pestle in a mortar, a strong detonation occurs. Black antimony
Arsenic pentachloride more stable and the instability of AsCl appears anomalous. The cause is believed to be due to incomplete shielding of the nucleus in the elements following the first transition series (i.e. gallium, germanium, arsenic, selenium, bromine, and krypton) which leads to stabilisation of their 4s electrons making them less available for bonding. This effect has been termed the d-block contraction and is similar to the f-block contraction normally termed the lanthanide contraction. Arsenic pentachloride Arsenic pentachloride is a chemical compound of arsenic and chlorine. This compound was first prepared in 1976 through the UV irradiation of arsenic trichloride, AsCl, in