Arsenic compounds, thermochromic

H. J. Breunig, Thermochromism of organometallic derivatives containing As, Sb, or Bi, in The Chemistry of Organic Arsenic, Antimony and Bismuth Compounds , ed. S. Patai, John Wiley Sons, Chichester, UK, 1994, p. 441. 

A number of simple diarsines have been structurally investigated and, although individual molecules are similar to those of the corresponding distibines, the diarsines do not show the extended chain structures and consequent thermochromism often found for the latter. The geometry at the two arsenic atoms is pyramidal, though the angles at arsenic can be asymmetric. The substituents occupy anti (gauche) conformations and in some cases the molecules have imposed Cj symmetry. Parameters for four of the compounds are summarized in Table 2. 

Preparation of 1,1 -biheterole systems containing arsenic, antimony, and bismuth has been important in understanding thermochromic behavior in terms of structure and bonding. Their interesting solid state structures help explain why some show color transitions, while others do not (see Section 2.16.11.2). The coupled products are sometimes very air-sensitive, but can be isolated by low temperature crystallization for nonpolar solvents or by sublimation. The biarsoles, bistiboles, and bibismoles tend to be thermally stable, while the bibismolanes usually decompose at room temperature. In this section, the different methods by which these compounds may be prepared and isolated are examined. 

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