Electron diffraction study of the molecular structure of gaseous 1,1-dibromo-3,3,5,5-tetramethyl-1-stanna-3,5-disila-4-oxacyclohexane,Br2Sn(CH2SiMe2)2O

The molecular structure of gaseous Br₂Sn(CH₂SiMe₂)₂O was studied by electron diffraction. The six-membered ring has a chair conformation whereas the entire molecule possessesC _s symmetry. The existence of a boat conformer cannot be completely excluded. The results of theoretical calculations for a twisted-boat conformation are at variance with the experimental data. Steric strain caused by mutual repulsion of the two axial methyl groups is reduced to the tilt of the Me₂Si fragments in opposite directions. This results in an increase (up to 26°C) in the angle formed by the bisector of the C_M-Si-C_M angle with the C_cSiO plane. The main geometrical parameters are as follows:r _g (Å): Si-O 1.708(20); Si-C_M 1.862(20); Si-C_c 1.882(9); Sn-C 2.108(26); Sn-Br 2.456(3); C-H 1.099(30); (degr.): C-Sn-C 105(2); Br-Sn-Br 107.9(1.2); Si-O-Si 129.6(3); C_M-Si-C_M 112; Si-C-H 113 (fixed value in accordance with experiment); C_c-Si-O 107(2); Sn-C-Si 109(2); torsion angles: (Si-C) 52(2); (Si-O) 62(1); (C_c-Sn) 54(1). The average amplitudes were fixed at the values calculated from the force field. Structural parameters of molecules with similar structures were analyzed and compared.Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 2, pp. 384–387, February, 1993.