Developments in the chemistry of stibine and bismuthine complexes

New findings in the coordination chemistry of neutral stibine and bismuthine ligands are reviewed. The article describes new ligand syntheses, coordination complexes of d-block and p-block elements with halostibines, halobismuthines, tertiary monostibines, tertiary bismuthines, distibines and hybrid polydentates containing antimony or bismuth. Current views on the nature of the M-Sb(Bi) bonds based upon X-ray structural studies and DFT calculations are discussed. The new work distinguishing metal stibine complexes from the chemistry of lighter phosphorus or arsenic ligands including, µ2- and µ3-bridging stibines, hypervalency and the oxidation of metal-coordinated stibines to stiboranyl or stiborane complexes, is also presented. Emerging applications of metal stibine complexes in catalysis, as reagents for the deposition of electronic materials and as anion sensors are illustrated. Literature coverage is from 2006 - early 2020.