Dimethylphosphinato and dimethylarsinato complexes of Sb(III) and Bi(III) and their chemistry

Abstract  

The reaction of Me₂PO₂H and Me₂AsO₂H with SbCl₃, BiCl₃, and Bi(NO₃)₃·5H₂O gave the complexes Sb(Me₂PO₂)₃, Sb(Me₂AsO₂)₃, (Me₂PO₂)₂Bi-Cl, Bi(Me₂AsO₂)₃, (Me₂PO₂)₂Bi(NO₃), and (Me₂AsO₂)₂Bi(NO₃)·H₂O, respectively. The arsinato complexes did not react with the Lewis bases pyridine, Ph₃P, and Ph₃As in acetone. The compounds Sb(Me₂AsO₂)₃ and (Me₂AsO₂)₂Bi(NO₃)·H₂O reacted to a small extent with nicotinic acid in methanol but Bi(Me₂AsO₂)₃ gave (Me₂AsO₂-BiO) _x in good yields. (Me₂AsO₂)₂Bi(NO₃)·H₂O in methanol quantitatively rearranged to new complexes with the same composition, (Me₂AsO₂)₂Bi(NO₃)·H₂O]′ and (Me₂AsO₂)₂Bi(NO₃)·H₂O]″ in the presence of pyridine. With thiophenol in air, Sb(Me₂AsO₂)₃ gave PhSSPh and Me₂As-SPh (1:1 mol ratio), (Me₂AsO₂-SbO) _x and some Sb(Me₂AsO₂)₃ was reformed, Bi(Me₂AsO₂)₃ gave (Me₂AsO₂-BiO) _x , PhSSPh, and Me₂As-SPh (1:0.6 mol ratio), whereas (Me₂AsO₂)₂Bi(NO₃)·H₂O quantitatively gave PhSSPh, thus acting as a catalyst for the air oxidation of thiophenol.