Bismuth aryls, structure

The aryl-substituted derivatives of [Bi(SeC6H2R3-2,4,6)3] (R = Me, Pr, Bu) are the only isolated examples of selenolate complexes. They have been characterized by mp, elemental analysis, NMR spectroscopy, and thermal gravimetric analysis, and the solid-state structure of the isopropyl-substituted derivative reveals a tricoordinate environment for bismuth [Bi-Se 2.630(8)-2.711(8) A Se-Bi-Se 92.3(2)-103.3(2)°], imposed by the steric bulk of the ligands (38). 

The ylides and imides are present as monomers, and the bismuth center adopts a distorted tetrahedral geometry. In contrast, the structural properties of the bismuth oxides vary widely depending on the aryl ligands attached to the bismuth center the oxides exist as hydrates, dimers, or polymers in solution and in the solid state. X-ray structural analysis of an oxide dimer revealed that the bismuth center has a distorted, trigonal bipyramidal geometry with the two oxygen atoms at the apical and equatorial positions [47, 48]. 

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