Reactions of bismuth iodide with ammonium,phosphonium, and bismuthonium salts

The reactions of ammonium, phosphonium, and bismuthonium salts with bismuth iodide were used to synthesize a series of complex compounds with bismuth-containing anions: [(HOC₂H₄)₃NH]⁺ ₄[Bi₄I₁₆]^4?, [Ph₃EtP] ₃ ⁺ [Bi₂I₉]^3?, and [Ph₄Bi] ₃ ⁺ [Bi₅I₁₈]^3?. X-ray diffraction data show that the nitrogen atoms in the two types of crystallographically independent cations of the nitrogen-containing complex possess a distorted tetrahedral coordination [the CNC angles are 110.3(9)°–113.2(9)°]. In the tetranuclear centrosymmetric [Bi₄I₁₆]^4? anion, the bismuth atoms have an octahedral coordination: Two types of groups, BiI₂ and BiI₃, are bound with one another by four μ₂-and two μ₃-iodine bridges (the Bi-I-μ₂, Bi-I-μ₃, and Bi-I-μ₁ distances are 3.1296(10), 3.2808(8); 3.3210(8) and 2.8670(8)–2.9108(9) Å, respectively). The coordination of the phosphorus atom in the [Ph₃EtP]⁺ cations of the phosphorus-containing complex is close to tetrahedral (the CPC angles are 107.5°–114.1°). In the binuclear [Bi₂I₉]^3? anions, the bismuth atoms have an octahedral coordination. The axial I-Bi-I angles are 167.52(2)°, 169.84(2)°, and 174.97(2)°. The terminal BiI₃ fragments [Bi²-I^7,8,9 2.9238(7), 2.9236(7), and 2.9522(7) Å] are in the eclipsed conformation.