Nearly phase-pure bismuth ferrite particles were formed by thermolysis of the single-source precursor [Cp(Co)(2)FeBi(OAc)(2)] (1) in octadecene at 245 degrees C, followed by subsequent calcination at 600 degrees C for 3 h. In contrast, the slightly modified compound [Cp(Co)(2)FeBi(o(2)C(t)Bu)(2)] (2) yielded only mixtures of different bismuth oxide phases, revealing the distinctive influence of molecular design in material synthesis. The chemical composition, morphology, and crystallinity of the resulting materials were investigated by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. In addition, the optical properties were investigated by Fourier transform infrared and UV vis spectroscopies, showing a strong band gap absorption in the visible range at 590 rim (2.2 eV). The magnetic behavior was probed by vibrating-sample and superconducting quantum interference device magnetometry, as well as Fe-57 Mossbauer spectroscopy.