Antimony oxychloride, known since the 15th century, has been known by a plethora of alchemical names. Since the compound functions as both an
emetic and a
laxative, it was originally used as a purgative.
History
Its production was first described by
Basil Valentine in Currus Triumphalis Antimonii. In 1659,
Johann Rudolf Glauber gave a relatively exact chemical interpretation of the reaction.
Vittorio Algarotti introduced the substance into medicine, and derivatives of his name (algarot, algoroth) were associated with this compound for many years.
The exact composition was unknown for a very long time. The suggestion of SbOCl being a mixture of antimony trichloride and antimony oxide or pure SbOCl were raised. Today the hydrolysis of antimony trichloride is understood; first the SbOCl oxychloride is formed which later forms Sb4O5Cl2.
Natural occurrence
Neither SbOCl nor the latter compound occur naturally. However, onoratoite is a known Sb-O-Cl mineral, its composition being Sb8Cl2O11.[2][3][4][5][6]
^Belluomini, G.; Fornaseri, M.; Nicoletti, M. (2018). "Onoratoite, a new antimony oxychloride, from Cetine di Cotorniano, Rosia (Siena, Italy)". Mineralogical Magazine and Journal of the Mineralogical Society. 36 (284): 1037–1044.
doi:
10.1180/minmag.1968.036.284.01.
ISSN0369-0148.
^Roper, Adam J.; Leverett, Peter; Murphy, Timothy D.; Williams, Peter A. (2018). "The stability of onoratoite, Sb8O11Cl2, in the supergene environment". Mineralogical Magazine. 78 (7): 1671–1675.
doi:
10.1180/minmag.2014.078.7.10.
ISSN0026-461X.
S2CID99331237.
^Lavoisier, Antoine-Laurent de (1743-1794). Auteur du texte (1789).
Traité élémentaire de chimie, présenté dans un ordre nouveau, et d'après les découvertes modernes; Avec figures; Par M. Lavoisier,... [Treatise Elementary of Chemistry, Presented in a New Order, and after the Discoveries Modern; with Figures; by M. Lavoisier, ... (author of text)] (in French). France: A Paris, chez Cuchet, libraire, rue & hôtel Serpente. M. DCC. LXXXIX. Sous le privilège de l'Académie des sciences & de la Société royale de médecine. pp. Préliminaire XXV, "poudre d'algaroth".{{
cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (
link)
Soukup, Rudolf Werner (1999). "Chemiehistorische Experimente: Erze als Ausgangsprodukte für die Herstellung von Arzneimitteln". Chemkon. 6 (4): 171–177.
doi:
10.1002/ckon.19990060403.
Hentz, F. C.; Long, G. G. (1975). "Synthesis, properties, and hydrolysis of antimony trichloride". Journal of Chemical Education. 52 (3): 189.
Bibcode:
1975JChEd..52..189H.
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10.1021/ed052p189.
Moscardo, Lodovico (1668).
Historia di Verona. Rossi. p.
441. Retrieved 25 May 2013.
Dehnicke, Kurt (1961). "Über Antimon(V)-oxidchloride". Zeitschrift für Anorganische und Allgemeine Chemie (in German). 312 (5–6): 237–243.
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10.1002/zaac.19613120503.