Synthesis and characterisation of three dinuclear β-dialdiminatobismuth(III) dihalides

Treatment of anhydrous BiCl3, BiBr3 or BiI3 with an equivalent portion of the β-dialdiminatosodium compound Na[{N(Ar)C(H)}2CPh] [≡ Na(L); Ar = C6H3Pri2-2,6] in tetrahydrofuran and crystallisation from diethyl ether afforded the crystalline red [BiCl2(L)(μ-Cl)Bi(Cl)L(thf)]·OEt2 (1), the isomorphous yellow/orange bromide 2 and the yellow/orange [{BiI(L)(μ-I)}2]·0.5OEt2 (3). The X-ray structures of 1–3 are reported. The known pyrazolium salt was obtained by iodination of 3.