Synthesis and spectroscopic characterization of homoleptic triorganopnictogen(III) compounds – useful precursors for functionalized materials. Molecular structure of [4-{(CH2O)2CH}C6H4]3Sb

[4-{(CH2O)2CH}C6H4]3Pn [Pn = Sb (2), Bi (3)] were obtained by treatment of heavy pnictogen(III) halides, PnCl3, either with 4-[(CH2O)2CH]C6H4MgBr or 4-[(CH2O)2CH]C6H4Li [obtained in situ from 4-[(CH2O)2CH]C6H4Br (1)]. Deprotection of the para substituents in 2 and 3 gave the carbonyl-substituted compounds [4-(O=CH)C6H4]3Pn [Pn = Sb (4), Bi (5)], which afforded isolation of [4-(iPrN=CH)C6H4]3Pn [Pn = Sb (6), Bi (7)] and [4-{(EtO)3Si(CH2)3N=CH}C6H4]3Bi [Pn = Sb (8), Bi (9)], following condensation reactions with iPrNH2 and (EtO)3Si(CH2)3NH2, respectively. The compounds were characterized by multinuclear NMR [1H, 13C{1H}, and 29Si{1H}, where appropriate] in solution and IR spectroscopies as well as mass spectrometry. The crystal and molecular structure of 2 was established by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Weak intermolecular Sb···π (Arcentroid) interactions were found in solid state, thus resulting in a dimer association of molecules of 2 in the crystal. Compounds 4-9 might be potential useful precursors for functionalized materials.