固溶体内电场调控增强Bi24O31ClxBr10-x体相电荷流动和光催化活性

光催化是一种在能源和环境领域有着重要应用前景的绿色技术,在光照射下可将有机污染物彻底降解为二氧化碳和水,但因缺乏精确调控电荷流动的方法,导致大多数光催化剂活性不高.因此,促进光生电荷的高效分离一直是光催化研究的重要方向.目前多数电荷分离调控研究集中于表面修饰、表面缺陷设计、异质结构建等表面电荷分离改善策略,而对于体相电荷分离调控研究相对较少.卤氧化铋固溶体光催化材料由于独特的层状晶体结构、可调节的带隙结构和优化的电荷分离效率,近年来受到广泛关注.目前对固溶体的体相电荷分离机理尚不清楚.内电场作为一种新的增强光催化反应活性的有效调控途径,通过定向促进体相电荷的分离和转移,使光生载流子快速参与氧化还原反应.然而,通过调控内电场来增强卤氧化铋固溶体光催化活性的报道较少,且缺乏从理论和实验的角度对固溶体内电场大小以及电荷分离机理的分析.本文构建了具有相同形貌和晶体结构的Bi₂₄O₃₁Cl_xBr_10-x固溶体光催化剂,并考察了其催化性能.密度泛函理论计算、开尔文探针力显微镜(KPFM)和Zeta电位测试结果表明,通过改变卤素类型和比例可增加晶体结构单元的不对称性,从而调节[Bi₂₄O₃₁]和[X]层之间的电势差,增强光催化材料的内电场强度,促进体相电荷分离和转移效率,进而提高酚类有机污染物的降解活性.光电化学测试发现,相较于Bi₂₄O₃₁Cl₁₀和Bi₂₄O₃₁Br₁₀,Bi₂₄O₃₁Cl₄Br₆固溶体体相电荷分离效率显著提高,表面和界面上的电荷转移效率以及载流子密度增加.Bi₂₄O₃₁Cl₄Br₆的载流子密度分别是Bi₂₄O₃₁Cl₁₀和Bi₂₄O₃₁Br₁₀的33.1倍和4.7倍,Bi₂₄O₃₁Cl₄Br₆固溶体降解双酚A活性分别是Bi₂₄O₃₁Cl₁₀和Bi₂₄O₃₁Br₁₀的6.21倍和2.71倍.此外,其它酚类的降解实验也证明了光催化活性和内电场强度以及电荷分离效率成正相关.综上所述,本文从内电场的角度揭示了固溶体策略对光催化性能增强的内在机理,这些发现将进一步加深对体相电荷运动行为的理解,为设计高活性光催化剂提供一条新的途径.     

Growth of compound Bi(III)- VI(A)-VII(A) crystals with special morphologies under mild conditions

A series of crystals Bi(III)-VI(A)-VII(A), including the platelike crystals BiOCl, polygonal tubular crystals BiSCl, bundle-rodlike crystals Bi(19)S(27)Br(3), and BiSI, have been grown with use of mild solution routes in an ethanol system. The products are characterized by means of X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), electron diffraction (ED), scanning electronic microscopy (SEM), and Raman spectrum techniques. A possible mechanism of the reaction and of the growth of the crystals is proposed.     

From {Bi22O26} to chiral ligand-protected {Bi38O45}-based bismuth oxido clusters

The reaction of [Bi(22)O(26)(OSiMe(2)tBu)(14)] (1) in THF with salicylic acid gave [Bi(22)O(24)(HSal)(14)] (2) first, which was converted into [Bi(38)O(45)(HSal)(22)(OH)(2)(DMSO)(16.5)]·DMSO·H(2)O (3·DMSO·H(2)O) after dissolution and crystallization from DMSO. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis and ESI mass spectrometry associated with infrared multi-photon dissociation (IRMPD) tandem MS experiments confirm the formation of the large and quite stable bismuth oxido cluster 3. The reaction of compound 2 with the butoxycarbonyl(BOC)-protected amino acids phenylalanine and valine (BOC-PheOH and BOC-ValOH), respectively, resulted in the formation of chiral [Bi(38)O(45)(BOC-AA)(22)(OH)(2)] (AA=deprotonated amino acid), as shown by a combination of different analytical techniques such as elemental analysis, dynamic light scattering, circular dichroism spectroscopy, and ESI mass spectrometry.     

Bi_(12)O_(17)Br_2和Bi_4O_5Br_2纳米片的简易制备及光催化氧化NO机理的原位漫反射红外光谱研究(英文)

BiOBr因具有合适的能带结构和独特的层状纳米结构而广泛应用于可见光催化领域,但其低的可见光利用率和高的光生电子-空穴对复合率,限制了其实际应用.最近,非整比BiOBr纳米材料表现出了良好的可见光催化性能.本课题组分别采用简易水热法和常温法制备得Bi_(12)O_(17)Br_2和Bi_4O_5Br_2纳米片,并表现出良好的可见光催化性能.然而,对于Bi_(12)O_(17)Br_2和Bi_4O_5Br_2的可见光催化氧化NO的转化路径及反应机理还不清楚.基于此,本文采用射线衍射(XRD)、扫描电镜(SEM)、透射电镜(TEM)、紫外-可见漫反射光谱(UV-Vis DRS)、电子自旋共振(ESR)、电子顺磁共振(EPR)和比表面积-孔结构(BET-BJH)等手段研究了Bi_(12)O_(17)Br_2和Bi_4O_5Br_2的理化性能,通过原位红外光谱(in situ DRIFTS)研究了Bi_(12)O_(17)Br_2和Bi_4O_5Br_2的可见光催化氧化NO的转化路径及反应机理.XRD结果表明,在常温碱性环境下,OH~-离子逐步取代BiOBr中的Br-离子制备得单斜晶相Bi_4O_5Br_2;在水热碱性环境下,OH-离子进一步取代Bi_4O_5Br_2中的Br-离子制备得四方晶相Bi_(12)O_(17)Br_2.SEM和TEM结果表明,Bi_(12)O_(17)Br_2是由不规则纳米片堆叠形成的紧密且厚实的层状结构,Bi_4O_5Br_2是由纳米片和纳米颗粒无序堆积形成的多孔疏松结构.BET-BJH测试结果显示,Bi_4O_5Br_2的比表面积和孔容(37.2 m~2/g,0.215 cm~3/g)显著高于Bi_(12)O_(17)Br_2(8.7 m~2/g,0.04 cm~3/g).UV-Vis DRS测试结果显示,Bi_(12)O_(17)Br_2和Bi_4O_5Br_2均显示了良好的可见光吸收能力.可见光催化去除NO的测试结果表明,Bi_4O_5Br_2(41.8%)的光催化活性明显高于Bi_(12)O_(17)Br_2(28.3%).并且,在5次可见光催化循环实验后,Bi_4O_5Br_2(41.1%)表现出良好可见光催化稳定性.ESR测试结果表明,Bi_(12)O_(17)Br_2和Bi_4O_5Br_2参与反应的主要活性物种均为·OH自由基,Bi_4O_5Br_2产生·OH自由基明显强于Bi_(12)O_(17)Br_2.EPR测试结果表明,Bi_4O_5Br_2的氧空位明显多于Bi_(12)O_(17)Br_2,丰富的氧空位更有利于NO的有效吸附.由此可见,Bi_(12)O_(17)Br_2和Bi_4O_5Br_2表现出不同的理化特性.可见光催化氧化NO的原位红外光谱表明,只在Bi_(12)O_(17)Br_2光催化氧化NO的转化路径中会生成中间产物N2O3,表明Bi_(12)O_(17)Br_2和Bi_4O_5Br_2具有不同的NO光催化转化路径.结合上述表征结果认为,Bi_4O_5Br_2比Bi_(12)O_(17)Br_2表现出更优异可见光催化性能的主要原因有以下四个方面为:(1)Bi_4O_5Br_2拥有更高的比表面积和更大的孔容,有利于NO的吸附、反应中间产物的转移和提供更多的活性位点参与光催化反应;(2)Bi_4O_5Br_2可以生成更多的·OH自由基和拥有更强的价带空穴氧化能力;(3)NO中的O原子可以与Bi_4O_5Br_2的氧空位结合,从而提供更多的反应位点;(4)Bi_4O_5Br_2的光催化反应中可以生成中间产物N_2O_3,可以降低NO转化成NO_3~-的反应活化能.     

In situ transmission electron microscopy observation of the growth of bismuth oxide whiskers.

Growth of bismuth oxide (most probably Bi2O3) was observed in situ in a transmission electron microscope. Bi liquid particles were dispersed on the substrates of diamond or SiO2. Introduction of oxygen up to 5 x 10-4 Pa resulted in formation of bismuth oxide (most probably Bi2O3) whiskers. The growth mechanism of the whisker was discussed in terms of a vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) mechanism. It is suggested that the liquid droplet of Bi acts as a physical catalyst for growth of bismuth oxide (most probably Bi2O3) whiskers.     

Rational syntheses, structure, and properties of the first bismuth(II) carboxylate

Bismuth(II) trifluoroacetate (1), the first inorganic salt of bismuth in oxidation state +2, has been obtained in its pure, unstabilized form. Several synthetic routes suggested for the isolation of the new compound include (i) mild oxidation of elemental bismuth with some metal trifluoroacetates, e.g., Ag(I) and Hg(II); (ii) mild reduction of bismuth(III) trifluoroacetate with metals, such as Zn; (iii) comproportionation reaction between Bi and Bi(O(2)CCF(3))(3). The last approach gives the title compound 1 in quantitative yield as a sole product. Bismuth(II) trifluoroacetate has been characterized by NMR, IR, and UV-vis spectroscopy as well as by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Crystallographic study reveals the dinuclear paddle-wheel structure for diamagnetic molecules Bi(2)(O(2)CCF(3))(4). The Bi-Bi bond distances in dimetal units of 1 are averaged to 2.9462(3) A, and there are no axial intermolecular contacts between these units in the solid state. The compound is volatile and exists in vapor phase up to 220 degrees C when it disproportionates back to Bi(0) and Bi(III) species, i.e., by the reverse of the synthetic route iii. In contrast, the solution chemistry is quite limited: the bismuth(II) trifluoroacetate is decomposed by the majority of common solvents, but it can be stabilized by aromatic systems. The dibismuth unit has been shown to be preserved in the latter solvents and can be crystallized out in a form of pi-adducts with arenes. Two such adducts, Bi(2)(O(2)CCF(3))(4).(C(6)H(5)Me) (2) and Bi(2)(O(2)CCF(3))(4).(1,4-C(6)H(4)Me(2))(2) (3), have been isolated as single crystals and characterized by X-ray diffraction techniques. In the structures of both 2 and 3, the bismuth(II) centers exhibit weak eta(6)-coordination to aromatic rings.     

Development of one-dimensional nanostructures through the crystallization of amorphous colloids

In this paper we have demonstrated that the crystallization method of amorphous colloids is convenient and feasible in the large-scale production of one-dimensional (1D) nanostructures. For the crystals with highly anisotropic structures, such as orthorhombic, trigonal, and hexagonal crystals, the crystallization generally tends to occur along the (001) axis. The preparation of orthorhombic bismuth sulfide (Bi2S3) nanorods and trigonal selenium ( t-Se) nanowires by the crystallization route was used as typical examples to illustrate the process and mechanism of crystallization. The as-prepared products were characterized with transmission electron microscopy, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and selected area electron diffraction. Additionally, the detailed crystal growth processes involved in the crystallization of amorphous Bi2S3 colloid were investigated by studying the morphology and structure of intermediates. It demonstrates that the growth of the nanorods is through two key steps: (1) the formation of multiple activated sites on the surface of spherical Bi2S3 colloid and (2) the subsequent preferential growth along these sites.     

Substitution effect on the photocatalytic degradation by the series AxBi26-xMo10O68+0.5y (A = Ba, y = 0; A = Bi, La, y = 2): a kinetic study

The compounds Ba2Bi24Mo10O68 and La2Bi24Mo10O69 were synthesized by the ceramic route and characterized by single crystal and powder X-ray diffraction, respectively. The structure of these phases is isostructural with that of Bi26Mo10O69. Along the b axis columns of [Bi12O14] units are separated by MoO4 tetrahedra and noncolumnar A (A = Ba, La) atoms. UV-visible spectra of Bi26Mo10O69, Ba2Bi24Mo10O68, and La2Bi24Mo10O69 suggest that band gap decreases on substitution of La and Ba for Bi at the noncolumnar site. The photocatalytic degradation of water pollutants such as phenol and substituted phenols was studied. All the catalysts show specificity toward nitro substituent at the para position in the aromatic ring.     

Hydrolysis of a basic bismuth nitrate--formation and stability of novel bismuth oxido clusters

The synthesis of the nanoscaled bismuth oxido clusters [Bi(38)O(45)(NO(3))(20)(DMSO)(28)](NO(3))(4)·4DMSO (1a) and [Bi(38)O(45)(OH)(2)(pTsO)(8)(NO(3))(12)(DMSO)(24)](NO(3))(2)·4DMSO·2H(2)O (2) starting from the basic bismuth nitrate [Bi(6)O(4)(OH)(4)](NO(3))(6)·H(2)O is reported herein. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis, ESI mass spectrometry, thermogravimetric analysis, and molecular dynamics simulation were used to study the formation, structure, and stability of these large metal oxido clusters. Compounds 1a and 2 are based on a [Bi(38)O(45)](24+) core, which is structurally related to δ-Bi(2)O(3). Examination of the fragmentation pathways of 1a and 2 by infrared multi-photon dissociation (IRMPD) tandem MS experiments allows the identification of novel bismuth oxido cluster species in the gas phase.     

Preparation of cauliflower-like bismuth sulfide and its application in electrochemical sensor

A solvothermal process was developed for the preparation of cauliflower-like Bi2S3 from N,N-dimethylformamide （DMF） solution of bismuth nitrate [Bi（NO3）3.5H2O] and thioacetamide （TAA） with 2-undecyl-1-dithioureido-ethyl-imidazoline （SUDEI） as the morphology-controlling agent. The obtained Bi2S3 products were characterized by transmission electron microscopy （TEM）, scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, and X-ray diffraction （XRD）, etc. The sensing properties of Bi2S3 with different morphologies were evaluated by the electrochemical analysis of dopamine （DA） and ascorbic acid （AA） coexisting solution. The results showed that cauliflower-like Bi2S3 showed a better resolving ability than rod-like Bi2S3 for the simultaneous determination of DA and AA,     

Antimony(V) and bismuth(V) complexes of lapachol: synthesis, crystal structure and cytotoxic activity

Antimony(V) and bismuth(V) complexes of lapachol have been synthesized by the reaction of Ph?SbCl? or Ph?BiCl? with lapachol (Lp) and characterized by several physicochemical techniques such as IR, and NMR spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography. The compounds contain six-coordinated antimony and bismuth atoms. The antimony(V) complex is a monomeric derivative, (Lp)(Ph?Sb)OH, and the bismuth(V) complex is a dinuclear compound bridged by an oxygen atom, (Lp)?(Ph?Bi)?O. Both compounds inhibited the growth of a chronic myelogenous leukemia cell line and the complex of Bi(V) was about five times more active than free lapachol. This work provides a rare example of an organo-Bi(V) complex showing significant cytotoxic activity.     

Fluorinated bismuth alkoxides: from monomers to polymers and oxo-clusters

A series of new bismuth fluoroalkoxide compounds have been prepared through the treatment of 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoro-2-propanol with BiAr3 (where Ar=Ph, p-Tol). Reactions were conducted without the use of any additional solvent and the reaction products distilled or extracted with non-polar or polar Lewis base solvents. Structural analyses reveal that under variable reaction conditions the interaction of BiAr3 with (CF3)2CHOH can give a mixture of bismuth complexes with varying degrees of substitution, cluster formation and aggregation. Compounds [Bi(OCH(CF3)2)3(pyr)2] () (pyr=pyridine), [Bi(OCH(CF3)2)3(thf)3] () (thf=tetrahydrofuran), [Bi2(OCH(CF3)2)3(dabco)3] () (dabco=1,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane), [PhBi(OCH(CF3)2)2]n (), [Bi2O(OCH(CF3)2)4(C7H8)]2 () (C7H8=toluene), [Bi9O7(OCH(CF3)2)13] (), [Bi2O(OCH(CF3)2)4(Et2O)]2 (), [Bi2O(OCH(CF3)2)4(thf)]2 () and [Bi2O(OCH(CF3)2)4(tmeda)2] () (tmeda=N,N,N',N'-tetramethylethylenediamine) have been fully characterised including by single crystal X-ray diffraction.     

Chemical bonding topology of ternary transition metal-centered bismuth cluster halides: from molecules to metals

The bismuth polyhedra in ternary transition metal-centered bismuth cluster halides may form discrete molecules or ions, infinite chains, and/or infinite layers. The chemical bonding in many of these diverse structures is related to that in deltahedral boranes exhibiting three-dimensional aromaticity by replacing the multicenter core bond in the boranes with two-center two-electron (2c-2e) bonds from the central transition metal to the nearest neighbor bismuth vertices. Examples of discrete molecules or ions include octahedral MBi(6)(micro-X)(12)(z)()(-) (X = Br, I; M = Rh, Ir, z = 3; M = Ru, z = 4) with exclusively 2c-2e bonds and pentagonal bipyramidal RhBi(7)Br(8) with a 5c-4e bond in the equatorial pentagonal plane indicative of M?bius aromaticity. The compound Ru(3)Bi(24)Br(20) contains a more complicated discrete bismuth cluster ion Ru(2)Bi(17)(micro-Br)(4)(5+), which can be dissected into a RuBi(5) closo octahedron and a RuBi(8) nido capped square antiprism bridged by a Ru(2)Bi(4)(micro-Br)(4) structural unit. In RuBi(4)X(2) (X = Br, I), the same Ru(2)Bi(4)(micro-Br)(4) structural unit bridges Bi(4) squares similar to those found in the known Zintl ion Bi(4)(2)(-) to give infinite chains of Ru(2)Bi(4) octahedra. The electron counts of the RuBi(5), RuBi(8), and Ru(2)Bi(4) polyhedra in these structures follow the Wade-Mingos rules. A different infinite chain structure is constructed from fused RhBi(7/2)Bi bicapped trigonal prisms in Rh(2)Bi(9)Br(3). This Rh(2)Bi(9)Br(3) structure can alternatively be derived from alternating Rh(2/2)Bi(4) octahedra and Rh(2/)(2)Bi(5) pentagonal bipyramids with electron counts obeying the Wade-Mingos rules. Related chemical bonding principles appear to apply to more complicated layer structures such as Pt(3)Bi(13)I(7) containing Kagomé nets of PtBi(8/2) cubes and Ni(4)Bi(12)X(3) containing linked chains of NiBi(6/3)Bi capped trigonal prisms.     

离子热法制备多级孔AlPO_4-5分子筛

采用离子热法,以磷酸为磷源,γ-Al_2O_3为铝源,在1-丁基-3-甲基溴化咪唑离子液体中于320℃反应10 min内快速合成了多级孔AlPO_4-5分子筛,其结构和形貌经傅里叶红外光谱(FT-IR),X-射线衍射(XRD),扫描电子显微镜(SEM),氮气物理吸-脱附(BET)和透射电镜(TEM)表征。     

Biomolecule-assisted synthesis and electrochemical hydrogen storage of Bi2S3 flowerlike patterns with well-aligned nanorods

Bi2S3 flowerlike patterns with well-aligned nanorods were synthesized using a facile solution-phase biomolecule-assisted approach in the presence of L-cysteine (an ordinary and cheap amino acid), which turned out to serve as both the S source and the directing molecule in the formation of bismuth sulfide nanostructures. Emphatically, no nauseous scent (H2S) appeared in our experiments, which could not be avoided in other previous reports. The morphology, structure, and phase composition of the as-prepared Bi2S3 products were characterized using various techniques (scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, selected area electron diffraction, and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy). The formation mechanism for the bismuth sulfide flowerlike assemblies with well-arranged nanorods was also discussed. In addition, other Bi2S3 homogeneous nanostructures (e.g., networklike nanoflakes, nanorod-based bundles, and nanoflakes) were obtained through varying the experimental parameters. Interestingly, we have found that these synthesized bismuth sulfide nanostructures using the biomoleucle-assisted approach could electrochemically charge and discharge with the capacity of 142 (mA h)/g (corresponding to 0.51 wt % hydrogen in single-walled carbon nanotubes) under normal atmosphere at room temperature. A novel two-plateau phenomenon was observed in the synthesized Bi2S3 nanostructures, suggesting that there were two independent steps in the charging process. It has been demonstrated that the bismuth sulfide's morphology and the constant charge-discharge current density had a noticeable influence on their capacity of electrochemical hydrogen storage. These differences in hydrogen storage capacity are likely due to the size and density of space/pores as well as the morphology of different Bi2S3 nanostructures. The novel Bi2S3 nanomaterials may find potential applications in hydrogen storage, high-energy batteries, luminescence, optoelectronic and catalytic fields, as well as in the studies of structure-property relationships. This facile, environmentally benign, and solution-phase biomolecule-assisted method can be potentially extended to the preparation of other metal chalcogenides including FeS, CuS, NiS, PbS, MnS, and CoS nanostructures.     

La掺杂Bi2O3的制备、表征与可见光催化活性

采用浸渍法制备了La掺杂Bi2O3(La-Bi2O3)光催化剂,利用X射线荧光光谱(XRF)、X射线衍射(XRD)、扫描电子显微镜(SEM)、傅立叶变换红外光谱(FT-IR)、X射线光电子能谱(XPS)、紫外-可见吸收光谱(UV-Vis)和光致发光谱(PL)等分析测试手段对样品的La掺杂量、晶体结构和光谱特征等进行了表征,并以2,4-二氯苯酚(2,4-DCP)水溶液的降解作为探针反应,考察了样品的可见光催化性能.结果表明,适量的La掺杂能有效抑制Bi2O3由四方相向单斜相转变,并将光吸收范围拓展到550 nm以上.掺杂的La可取代Bi2O3晶格中部分Bi,形成Bi—O—La键,并生成了少量镧铋复合氧化物(La0.176Bi0.824O1.5),它们的存在能有效抑制光生电子-空穴对的复合,从而提高光催化量子产率.可见光照射下2,4-DCP的光催化降解实验表明,La-Bi2O3具有良好的可见光催化性能,并且当La的掺杂量为3%(摩尔分数)时,催化剂的可见光催化效率最高.     

钛酸铋系化合物的光催化性能研究

采用化学溶液分解法制备了钛酸铋化合物: Bi₁₂TiO₂₀, Bi₄Ti₃O₁₂和Bi₂Ti₂O₇, 并采用XRD表征了其结构. 用TEM观察发现其平均粒径＞100 nm, UV-Vis漫反射谱测定显示它们在可见光区均呈现极强的吸收特征. 紫外光照射下甲基橙的光催化降解脱色实验表明, 三种钛酸铋化合物均具有较强的光催化活性, 其中, Bi₁₂TiO₂₀的光催化活性最强, 几乎与P-25相同. 钛酸铋化合物光催化性能的不同在于它们具有不同的晶相结构和电子结构.     

Framework‐Substituted Bismuth Zeolite‐P: Synthesis and Characterization

Bismuth‐modified zeolite‐P (Bi‐ZP) was synthesized by hydrothermal methods during the phase transformation of analcime to zeolite‐P. The evolution of phase transformation of pure analcime to Bi‐ZP was investigated. The results showed that bismuth atoms were incorporated into the framework of the microporous zeolite‐P. The effect of various Bi/Al (0–3) and Si/Bi (1–5) mole ratios on the synthesis of bismuth modified zeolite were studied by X‐ray diffraction (XRD) technique and FT‐IR spectroscopy. Evolution of the growth process of Bi‐ZP spheres was carried out at different time intervals with XRD patterns and FE‐SEM images. The energy dispersive X‐ray (EDX) spectrum indicated the existence of bismuth atoms in the synthesized Bi‐ZP. Framework substitutions of bismuth were evidenced by a set of complementary characterizations such as diffusive reflectance UV/Vis (DRS) and Raman spectroscopy on the synthesized Bi‐ZP (Si/Bi = 1).     

Weak Pnictogen Bond with Bismuth: Experimental Evidence Based on Bi−P Through-Space Coupling

To study pnictogen bonding involving bismuth, flexible accordion-like molecular complexes of the composition [P(C₆H₄-o-CH₂SCH₃)₃BiX₃], (X=Cl, Br, I) have been synthesised and characterised. The strength of the weak and mainly electrostatic interaction between the Bi and P centres strongly depends on the character of the halogen substituent on bismuth, which is confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses, DFT and ab initio computations. Significantly, ²⁰⁹Bi–³¹P through-space coupling (J=2560 Hz) is observed in solid-state ³¹P NMR spectra, which is so far unprecedented in the literature, delivering direct information on the magnitude of this pnictogen interaction.     

Interaction of bismuth(III) oxide with formic acid solutions

The interaction of bismuth(III) oxide with formic acid solutions at 22 and 55°C was studied using X-ray powder diffraction, thermogravimetry, electron microscopy, IR spectroscopy, and chemical analysis. Solubility curves were found to comprise two branches due to formates of compositions Bi(COOH)₃ and BiOCOOH forming in the system. Thermal decomposition of bismuth formates is shown to be a promising route for the synthesis of metallic bismuth, as well as of tetragonal (β) and monoclinic (α) bismuth oxides.