When [PPN]SCN (1; PPN = [Ph3P–N–PPh3])
is treated with Me3Si–SCN in methanol,
[PPN][H(NCS)2] (2), a hydrogen diisothiocyanate
salt bearing the [H(NCS)2]− anion, was
generated, isolated, and fully characterized. Pure heavy E(NCS)3 [E = Sb (3), Bi (4)] species were
obtained from the reaction of EF3 and an excess of Me3Si–SCN, while the tetrahydrofuran (THF) solvates E(NCS)3·THF were isolated when the product was recrystallized
from THF. When 2 equiv of 1 was combined with Me3Si–SCN and SbF3, [PPN]2[Sb(NCS)5] (5) could be isolated. When 1 was
added to BiF3, [PPN]2[Bi(NCS)3(SCN)2·THF] (6·THF), containing three SCN– ions coordinating via the N atom and two coordinating
via the S atom, was isolated after recrystallization from THF. The
structures of 1, 2, 3·THF, 4·THF, 5, and 6·THF were determined. 3·THF displayed a typical [3
+ 3] coordination mode with a trigonal-pyramidal environment in the
first coordination sphere of the Sb3+ ion, and the dianion
of 5, [Sb(NCS)5]2–, featured
a classical square-pyramidal molecular geometry around the Sb3+ ion with one additional Menshutkin-type interaction to one
aryl ring of the [PPN]+ cation. 4·THF exhibited a distorted pentagonal-bipyramidal structure within a
two-dimensional network, while in 6·THF, an octahedrally
surrounded Bi3+ ion was observed.