Arsenic and phosphine have very similar physicochemical properties, and arsenic catalysts have unique applications in catalyzing some organic chemical reactions. For example, an arsenic heterocycle is used as a homogeneous catalyst to catalyze the hydroboration of an aldehyde. In addition, arsenic catalysts can also catalyze the synthesis of polyester in polymer chemistry.

• Arsenic catalyst is used for hydroboration: The hydroboration of unsaturated systems has widespread applications in in synthetic laboratories and in the chemical industry. Arsenic catalysts are one of the few non-metallic catalysts that can catalyze such reactions. Compared with traditional metal catalysts, arsenic heterocyclic catalysts have mild reaction conditions and shorter reaction time.

Figure1. Arsenic-heterocyclic-ring-catalyzes-the-hydroboration-reaction

• Arsenic catalyst is used for polymerization: The polymerization step in the preparation of fiber forming polyesters is conducted in the presence of catalytic amounts of a novel polycondensation catalyst comprising arsenic ethylene glycoloxide. Many catalysts have been proposed to accelerate the reaction between dibasic acids and glycols. A disadvantage of these catalysts is that they can contaminate the diol used and cause problems with diol recovery and recycle in commercial operations. The arsenic catalyst can reduce the reaction time in producing a synthetic linear polyester from a dibasic acid and a glycol with satisfactory physical properties directly and readily. In addition, the use of an arsenic catalyst can reduce the glycol contamination in the reaction and increase the ease of recycling the glycol if desired.

References

1. Darren M. C. Ould and Rebecca L. Melen* "Arsenic Catalysis: Hydroboration of Aldehydes Using a Benzofused Diaza-benzyloxy-arsole"
2. ARSENC ETHYLENE GLYCOLOXIDEAS A POLY.ESTER POLYMERIZATION CATALYST Frank Dobinson, Chapel Hill, and Eugene L. Ringwald, Cary, N.C., assignors to Monsanto Company, St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of Delaware No Drawing. Filed Sept. 1, 1966, Ser. No. 576,526Int. C. C08g 17/015U.S. C. 260- 75 8 Claims
3. Wei‐Chao Chen, Xin‐Long Wang,* Chao Qin, Kui‐Zhan Shao, Zhong‐Min Su,* and En‐Bo Wang "A Carbon‐Free Polyoxometalate Molecular Catalyst with Cobalt‐Arsenic Core for Visible Light‐Driven Water Oxidation"