Coordination Chemistry of the Antimony(III) and Bismuth(III) Cations using Bis(α-iminopyridine) as Ligand.

Bis(alpha-iminopyridine) L has been employed as the redox non-innocent Schiff-base ligand to coordinate with cationic antimony(III) and bismuth(III) centers. Mono- and di- cationic compounds: [LSbCl2 ][CF3 SO3 ] 1, [LBiCl2 ][CF3 SO3 ] 2, [LSbCl2 ]2 [Sb2 Cl8 ] 3, [LBiCl2 ]2 [Bi2 Cl8 ] 4, [LSbCl][CF3 SO3 ]2 5, [LBiCl][CF3 SO3 ]2 6 have been isolated and characterized using single crystal X-ray crystallography in the solid-state and solution-state NMR studies. These compounds have been prepared from PnCl3 (Pn=Sb, Bi) and chloride abstracting agent such as Me3 SiCF3 SO3 or AgCF3 SO3 in the presence of L. The Bi tri-cationic species forms heteroleptic compound 7, being coordinated by two types of Schiff-base donors L and L'. The latter has been in situ generated by the cleavage of one of the two imines present in L.