It is a white, air-stable solid that is soluble in organic solvents.

It is prepared by treatment of bismuth trichloride with phenylmagnesium bromide.

[2] Structurally it resembles related compounds such as triphenylstibine.

[3] Triphenylbismuthine serves as a phenyl donor in some cross coupling reactions catalyzed by Pd(0) complexes.

[4] It reacts with trifluoromethanesulfonic acid to give bismuth triflate:[5] Triphenylbismuthine readily undergoes oxidative addition to form Bi(V) derivatives such as triphenylbismuthine dichloride.