Tris(ortho-tolyl)bismuth dichloride derivatives react with nucleophiles under basic conditions to give good to high yields of the C-arylated substrates. Under the same conditions, trimesitylbismuth dichloride affords only poor yields of the C-mesitylated substrates. Similar influence of the substitution pattern of tris(ortho-tolyl)bismuth diacetate derivatives was observed in the copper-catalysed arylation