Bismuth triarenesulphinates,
Bi(02SR)3 [R = Ph, p-MeC6H4,
p-ClC6H4, 2,4,6-(Me2CH)3C6H2,
and p-MeCONHC6H4],
have been prepared by reaction of bismuth triacetate with the
appropriate arenesulphinio acids in glacial acetic
acid, and the first two compounds have also been obtained by reaction of triphenyl-bismuth with the appropriate mercuric arenesulphinates. The sulphur-oxygen
stretching frequencies of the bismuth sulphinates are
indicative of O-sulphinate
coordination, and the compounds are considered to be polymeric with bridging O-sulphinate
groups and six-coordinate bismuth. Thermal decomposition of
Bi(O2SR)3 (R = Ph, p-MeC6H4,
or p-CIC6H4) under vacuum gave the corresponding triarylbismuth compounds and sulphur
dioxide, the preparation of tri-p-chlorophenylbismuth being accompanied by formation of di-p-chlorophenyl
sulphone and S-p-chlorophenyl p-chlorobenzenethiosulphonate. Pyrolysis of the other triarenesulphinates did not yield organobismuth
compounds.