Post-transition metal

The metallic elements in the periodic table located between the transition metals to their left and the chemically weak nonmetallic metalloids to their right have received many names in the literature, such as post-transition metals, poor metals, other metals, p-block metals, basic metals, and chemically weak metals. The most common name, post-transition metals, is generally used in this article.

Physically, these metals are soft (or brittle), have poor mechanical strength, and usually have melting points lower than those of the transition metals. Being close to the metal-nonmetal border, their crystalline structures tend to show covalent or directional bonding effects, having generally greater complexity or fewer nearest neighbours than other metallic elements.

Chemically, they are characterised—to varying degrees—by covalent bonding tendencies, acid-base amphoterism and the formation of anionic species such as aluminates, stannates, and bismuthates (in the case of aluminium, tin, and bismuth, respectively). They can also form Zintl phases (half-metallic compounds formed between highly electropositive metals and moderately electronegative metals or metalloids).

Applicable elements

The post-transition metals are located on the periodic table between the transition metals to their left and the chemically weak nonmetallic metalloids or nonmetals to their right. Generally included in this category are: the group 13–16 metals in periods 4–6 namely gallium, indium and thallium, tin and lead, bismuth, and polonium; and aluminium, a group 13 metal in period 3.

They can be seen at the bottom right in the accompanying plot of electronegativity values and melting points.

The boundaries of the category are not necessarily sharp as there is some overlapping of properties with adjacent categories (as occurs with classification schemes generally).