Trapping molecular bromine: a one-dimensional bromobismuthate complex with Br2 as a linker

Area of Science:

• Inorganic Chemistry
• Solid-State Chemistry
• Materials Science

Background:

• The synthesis of novel halogenated bismuth compounds is crucial for exploring new materials with unique structural and electronic properties.
• Understanding the reactivity of bismuth halide precursors with halogens can lead to the discovery of complex anionic structures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and characterize a new bismuth-bromine complex.
• To investigate the structural features and thermal stability of the resulting compound.

Main Methods:

• Reaction of solid (NMP)n{[BiBr4]}n (NMP = N-methylpyridinium) with in situ generated Br2 in HBr solution.
• Single-crystal X-ray diffraction to determine the crystal structure.
• Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) to assess thermal stability.

Main Results:

• Formation of the novel compound (NMP)3[Bi2Br9]·Br2.
• The crystal structure reveals discrete binuclear [Bi2Br9](3-) anions linked by dibromine (Br2) molecules into an extended network.
• The complex exhibits good thermal stability up to 150 °C.

Conclusions:

• A new bismuth-bromine complex with a unique network structure has been successfully synthesized.
• The compound's stability suggests potential applications in areas requiring robust inorganic materials.
• The study highlights the utility of in situ bromine generation for synthesizing complex bismuth halide structures.