Question

Discuss the following property and its variation in the group 15 elements:

Catenation

Answer 1

1. Compared to carbon, the elements of group 15 exhibit a far lower propensity for catenation. In hydrazine (\[\ce{NH2 - NH2}\]), nitrogen forms a chain of two atoms, whereas in hydrazoic acid, it forms a chain of three atoms.
2. Phosphorus exhibits a clear propensity for catenation by producing a number of cyclic and open-chain compounds.
3. A number of phosphorus atoms are connected.
4. There is hardly no tendency for the other elements to catenate.