Preparation and characterization of organotin-oxomolybdate coordination polymers and their use in sulfoxidation catalysis

The organotin-oxomolybdates (R(3)Sn)(2)MoO(4)].n H(2)O (R=methyl, n-butyl, cyclohexyl, phenyl, benzyl) have been prepared and tested as catalysts for the oxidation of benzothiophene with aqueous hydrogen peroxide, at 35 degrees C and atmospheric pressure. In all cases, the 1,1-dioxide was the only observed product. The kinetic profiles depend on the nature of the tin-bound R group and also on the addition of a co-solvent. For the tribenzyltin derivative, the apparent activation energies for sulfoxidation as a function of the co-solvent are in the order 1,2-dichloroethane (5 kcal mol(-1))