High-pressure crystal chemistry of transition metal diantimonides is discus
sed. Two types of pressure-induced phase transitions, marcasite-type to CuA
l2-type and marcasite-type to pararammels-bergite-type, occur in this famil
y The former is found in CrSb2 and the transition is accompanied by a chang
e in bonding character from the mixed ionic and covalent to metallic. The l
atter is found in NiSb2 and can be explained by effective packing of NiSb6
octahedra. The local environment of nickel atom remains unchanged during th
e transition. The phase transition sequences in transition metal diantimoni
des, together with other dipnictides and dichalcogenides, are schematically
summarized.