Methylbismuth dichloride explained

Methylbismuth dichloride is the organobismuth compound with the formula CH₃BiCl₂. It is a pale yellow solid. The compound can be prepared in two steps from diphenylbismuth chloride, first by methylation with methylmagnesium chloride. Treatment of the resulting methyldiphenylbismuthine with hydrogen chloride cleaves the two phenyl-bismuth bonds.

The compound adopts a polymeric structure wherein each square pyramidal Bi center is bound to four chloride ligands and an apical methyl group. The bismuth centers are interconnected by doubly bridged chloride centers.^[1]

References

1. 10.1021/om000749i. Syntheses and Chemistry of Methylantimony and Methylbismuth Dihalides: An Extended Two-Dimensional Framework in the Crystal Structure of CH₃BiCl₂ and Molecular Units in the Structures of [CH₃ECl₂(2,2'-bipyridine)] (E = Sb, Bi). 2001. Althaus. Henrik. Breunig. Hans Joachim. Lork. Enno. Organometallics. 20. 3. 586–589.