The electronic band structures of crb C 8 and BX were calculated using the all-electrons DFT-based augmented spherical method (ASW) . The results are shown in Fig. . The bands (blue lines) develop along the main directions of the tetragonal Brillouin zone. The zero energy along the vertical axis is considered with respect to E V , the top of the filled valence band VB. Since all six phases have band gaps ranging from widely insulating in C 8 and BN (the latter presenting the largest band gap > 5 eV), to semiconducting for the other boron pnictides, with the almost closing gap in BBi. This behavior is related to the continuous change in chemical properties described above.