Heavy Metals Make a Chain: A Catenated Bismuth Compound.
Robert D RileyDiane A DickieMichael A LandRichard A KempCharles L B MacdonaldUlrike Werner-ZwanzigerKatherine N RobertsonJason A C ClyburnePublished in: Chemistry (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany) (2020)
Catenation is common for the light main-group elements whereas it is rare for the heavy elements. Herein, we report the first example of a neutral molecule containing a Bi4 chain. It is prepared in a one-step reaction between bismuth trichloride and bis(diisopropylphosphino)amine in methanol suspension. The same reaction carried out in dichloromethane gives quite different products. All products have been characterized spectroscopically and using single-crystal X-ray analysis.