Synthesis and characterization of diorganotin(IV) complexes of Schiff bases with ONO‐type donors and crystal structure of [N‐(2‐hydroxy‐4‐nitrophenyl)‐3‐ethoxysalicylideneiminato]diphenyltin(IV)

A series of neutral complexes, namely, N‐(2‐hydroxy‐4‐nitrophenyl)‐3‐hydroxysalicylideneiminato]‐ diphenyltin(IV) ( Ia ), N‐(2‐hydroxy‐4‐nitrophenyl)‐3‐methoxysalicylideneiminato]diphenyltin(IV) ( IIa ) and N‐(2‐hydroxy‐4‐nitrophenyl)‐3‐ethoxysalicylideneiminato]diphenyltin(IV) ( IIIa ) were prepared by the reaction of diphenyltin dichloride on the corresponding Schiff bases. The Schiff bases were the reaction products of 2‐hydroxy‐4‐nitroaniline and appropriate salicylaldehydes. All the compounds were characterized by elemental analysis, ¹H‐NMR, ¹³C‐NMR, IR and mass spectroscopy. Compound IIIa was also characterized by single crystal X‐ray diffraction and shows a C₂NO₂ coordination geometry nearly half‐way between a trigonal bipyramidal and square pyramidal arrangement. In the solid state, π? π interactions exist between the aniline fragments of neighbouring molecules. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.