The six new pentavalent Bi(V) alkoxide complexes
Ph3Bi(OR)2, 1,
Ph3BiBr(OR), 2, and
Ph4Bi(OR), 3 (a, R =
C6F5; b R =
C6Cl5) have been prepared.
Ph4Bi(OR) was synthesized
by alcoholysis of BiPh5 with ROH.
Ph3Bi(OR)2 and
Ph3BiBr(OR) were products of the
salt
elimination reaction between Ph3BiBr2 and
NaOR. These compounds were characterized
spectroscopically and by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. In the
solid state, they possess
distorted trigonal bipyramidal coordination geometries. Although
the mixed species
Ph3BiBr(OR) may be isolated in pure form as
crystalline solids, they do not exist as pure
compounds in solution owing to the very rapid redistribution
equilibrium Ph3Bi(OR)2
+
Ph3BiBr2 ⇌
2Ph3BiBr(OR). The equilibrium constants were
measured using VT NMR spectroscopy. For comparison, the equilibrium constants for the
previously unreported cross-exchange reactions between the dihalides
Ph3BiX2 (X = F, Cl, Br) were also
measured at
226 K. Trends observed in the values of K
eq
correlate with the difference in the electronegativity of the mixed X species. The thermal stabilities of
Ph3Bi(OR)2 were examined
in
toluene solution and in the solid state. Pyrolysis results in
elimination of ROPh for both R
= C6F5 and
C6Cl5.