Oligomerization and oxide formation in bismuth aryl alkoxides: synthesis and characterization of Bi4(mu 4-O)(mu-OC6F5)6(mu 3-OBi(mu-OC6F5)3)2(C6H5CH3), Bi8(mu 4-O)2(mu 3-O)2(mu-OC6F5)16, Bi6(mu 3-O)4(mu 3-OC6F5)(mu 3-OBi(OC6F5)4)3, NaBi4(mu 3-O)2(OC6F5)9(THF)2, and Na2Bi4(mu 3-O)2(OC6F5)10(THF)2.

Exposing [Bi(OR)3(toluene)]2 (1, R = OC6F5) to different solvents leads to the formation of larger polymetallic bismuth oxo alkoxides via ether elimination/oligomerization reactions. Three different compounds were obtained depending upon the conditions: Bi4(mu 4-O)(mu-OR)6(mu 3-OBi(mu-OR)3)2(C6H5CH3) (2), Bi8(mu 4-O)2(mu 3-O)2(mu 2-OR)16 (3), Bi6(mu 3-O)4(mu 3-OR)(mu 3-OBi(OR)4)3 (4). Compounds 2 and 3 can also be synthesized via an alcoholysis reaction between BiPh3 and ROH in refluxing dichloromethane or chloroform. Related oxo complexes NaBi4(mu 3-O)2(OR)9(THF)2 (5) and Na2Bi4(mu 3-O)2(OR)10(THF)2 (6) were obtained from BiCl3 and NaOR in THF. The synthesis of 1 and Bi(OC6Cl5)3 via salt elimination was successful when performed in toluene as solvent. For compounds 2-6 the single-crystal X-ray structures were determined. Variable-temperature NMR spectra are reported for 2, 3, and 5.