Reactivity of a distannylene toward potassium graphite : synthesis of a stannylidenide anion

• Main Authors: Chia, Siew-Peng, Ganguly, Rakesh, Li, Yongxin, So, Cheuk-Wai
• Other Authors: School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: 2013
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/101124; http://hdl.handle.net/10220/13699
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

The synthesis and characterization of the stannylidenide anion [LSn:]− (L = 2,6-(CH═NBut)2C6H3) supported by the 2,6-diiminophenyl ligand is described. The reaction of the chlorostannylene [LSnCl] (2) with excess KC8 in diethyl ether at room temperature afforded the distannylene [LSn:]2 (3). The treatment of 3 with 2 equiv of KC8 in tetrahydrofuran (THF) resulted in the cleavage of the SnI–SnI bond in 3 to afford the potassium stannylidenide [LSnK·THF] (4). The molecular structure of compound 4 as determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis shows that the K atom is η5-coordinated to the low-valent tin heterocycle. Moreover, the negative charge at the Sn atom in compound 4 is stabilized by an electron delocalization in the low-valent tin heterocycle.