Bismuth(III) chloride is used as a catalyst in organic synthesis and to prepare other bismuth salts. It is used as a starting material for the preparation of bismuthoxychloride upon hydrolysis. It is an oxidizing agent to prepare metallic bismuth by reducing agent. Further, it catalyzes the Michael reaction and the Mukaiyama-aldol reaction. In addition to this, it is a Lewis acid.
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Applications
Bismuth(III) chloride is used as a catalyst in organic synthesis and to prepare other bismuth salts. It is used as a starting material for the preparation of bismuthoxychloride upon hydrolysis. It is an oxidizing agent to prepare metallic bismuth by reducing agent. Further, it catalyzes the Michael reaction and the Mukaiyama-aldol reaction. In addition to this, it is a Lewis acid.
Solubility
Soluble in hydrochloric acid, nitric acid, diethyl ether, ethyl acetate and acetone. Insoluble in alcohol.
Notes
Hygroscopic. Incompatible with strong oxidizing agents.
RUO – Research Use Only
General References:
- Lewis acid catalyst which promotes the rearrangement of acetanilides to o-amino ketones: Tetrahedron Lett., 3217 (1976).
- Silyl enol ethers can be ɑ-acylated with acyl chlorides in the presence of a catalytic amount of BiCl3 and NaI or ZnI2; other Lewis acids such as ZnCl2 were less effective: J. Org. Chem., 61, 3885 (1996).
- Catalyzes the addition of 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds to Michael acceptors under solvent-free conditions with microwave irradiation: Tetrahedron Lett., 38, 1449 (1997).
- For catalysis of Diels-Alder and hetero Diels-Alder reactions, see: J. Org. Chem., 62, 4880 (1997); Tetrahedron Lett., 39, 1161 (1998).
- Arenes undergo sufonylation by heating with arenesulfonyl chlorides in the presence of BiCl3 (5 mol%) and triflic acid (10 mol%) to give high yields of mixed diaryl sulfones; neither BiCl3 nor TfOH alone is effective: Tetrahedron Lett., 40, 9233 (1999).
- Promotes the chemoselective deprotection of N-Boc amino acids and peptides: Tetrahedron Lett., 47, 389 (2006).
- For a brief feature on Bi(III) catalysts, see: Synlett, 1194 (2001). For a review of their use in acylation and sulfonylation reactions, see: Synlett, 181 (2002).
- Antonio, M. R.; McAlister, D. R.; Horwitz, E. P. An europium(III) diglycolamide complex: insights into the coordination chemistry of lanthanides in solvent extraction. Dalton Trans. 2015, 44 (2), 515-521.
- Vuorinen, S.; Lahcini, M.; Hatanpää, T.; Sundberg, M.; Leskelä, M.; Repo, T. Bismuth(III) Alkoxide Catalysts for Ring-Opening Polymerization of Lactides and ε-Caprolactone. Macromol. Chem. Phys. 2013, 214 (6), 707-715.