Dispersion Interaction Of The Type Bismuth Center Dot Center Dot Center Dot Pi Arene In Substituted Benzyl Bismuthines

The reaction of the benzyl Grignard reagent 2-X-C6H4CH2MgBr (X = Me, Br) in Et2O with BiBr3 gave the bismuth compounds Bi(CH2C6H4-X-2)(2)Br [X = Me (1), Br (2)] and Bi(CH2C6H4-Br-2)Br-2 (3). The molecular structures in the solid state of 1 and 3 were determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. They show the formation of intermolecular Bi-Br center dot center dot center dot Bi donor-acceptor interactions to give one-dimensional coordination polymers. These bonds are accompanied by additional London dispersion interactions of the type bismuth center dot center dot center dot pi arene with distances between bismuth and the centroids of the benzyl ring of 3.73 angstrom to 3.96 angstrom. These weak interactions are not structure-directing but complement the coordination sphere at bismuth.