1-Octadecene (ODE, technical grade, 90%),
potassium thiocyanate (KSCN, 99%) sodium thiocyanate (NaSCN, 98%),
and tin(II) acetate (Sn(OAc)2) from Sigma-Aldrich; antimony(III)
iodide (SbI3, 99.9%), bismuth(III) iodide (BiI3, 99.999%), tin(II) iodide (SnI2, 99%), tin(II) sulfate
(SnSO4, 95%), and bismuth(III) chloride (BiCl3, 99%) from Strem; oleic acid (technical grade, 90%) from Alfa Aesar;
hexanes (99.9%) and methanol (99.9%) from Fisher. All chemicals were
used as received without further purification.