Mercapto derivatives of triorganotin Y,C,Y-pincer complexes: Role of Y,C,Y-chelating ligands in a new coordination mode of organotin compounds

We report the use of triorganotin fragments R₂L^1-2Sn containing N,C,N and O,C,O-ligands L^1-2(L¹ = C₆H₃(Me₂NCH₂)₂-2,6⁻, L² = C₆H₃(^tBuOCH₂)₂-2,6⁻) on stabilization of both thiol-form in R₂L^1-2Sn-2-SPy (2-SPy = pyridine-2-thiolate) and thione-form in R₂L^1-2Sn(mimt) (mimt = 1-methylimidazole-2-thiolate) of the polar groups. Treatment of ionic organotin compounds [Me₂L¹Sn]⁺[Cl]⁻ (1) and [Ph₂L²Sn]⁺[OTf]⁻ (2) with appropriate sodium salts Na-2-SPy and Na(mimt) resulted in the isolation of Me₂L¹Sn-2-SPy (3), Ph₂L²Sn-2-SPy (4), Me₂L¹Sn(mimt) (5), Ph₂L²Sn(mimt) (6). While polar group 2-SPy exists in its thiol-tautomeric form in compounds 3 and 4, the second polar group (mimt) has been stabilized as the thione-tautomeric form by triorganotin fragments R₂L^1-2Sn in compounds 5 and 6. The products were characterized by ¹H, ¹³C and ¹¹⁹Sn NMR and IR spectroscopy, ESI/MS, elemental analyses and structures of 3, 6 were determined by X-ray diffraction study. The reactivity of compound 4 containing non-coordinated nitrogen atom of 2-SPy polar group towards CuCl and AgNO₃ is also reported. The reactions led to isolation of organotin compounds Ph₂L²SnCl (7) and Ph₂L²SnNO₃ (8) as the result of polar group transfer. The mechanism of this reaction has been investigated and compounds Ph₃Sn-2-SPy (9) and Ph₂L²Sn-4-SPy (10) (4-SPy = pyridine-4-thiolate) have been prepared for this purpose.