Molecular Cage Assembly by Sn-O-Sn Bridging of Di-, Tri- and Tetranuclear Organotin Tectons: Extending the Spacing in Double Ladder Structures

Hydrolysis reactions of di- and trinuclear organotin halides yielded large novel cage compounds containing Sn-O-Sn bridges. The molecular structures of two octanuclear tetraorganodistannoxanes showing double-ladder motifs, viz., [{Me3SiCH2(Cl)SnCH2YCH2Sn(OH)CH2SiMe3}(2)(mu-O)(2)](2) [1, Y=p-(Me)(2)SiC6H4-C6H4Si(Me)(2)] and [{Me3SiCH2(I)SnCH2YCH2Sn(OH)CH2SiMe3}(2)(mu-O)(2)](2).0.48 I-2 [2.0.48 I-2, Y=p-(Me)(2)SiC6H4-C6H4Si(Me)(2)], and the hexanuclear cage-compound 1,3,6-C6H3(p-C6H4Si(Me)(2)CH2Sn(R)(2)OSn(R)(2)CH2Si(Me)(2)C6H4-p)(3)C6H3-1,3,6 (3, R=CH2SiMe3) are reported. Of these, the co-crystal 2.0.48 I-2 exhibits the largest spacing of 16.7 angstrom reported to date for distannoxane-based double ladders. DFT calculations for the hexanuclear cage and a related octanuclear congener accompany the experimental work.

Automated summary

Hydrolysis reactions of di- and trinuclear organotin halides resulted in large novel cage compounds containing Sn-O-Sn bridges, with octanuclear tetraorganodistannoxanes showing double-ladder motifs. Among them, the co-crystal 2.0.48 I-2 exhibited the largest spacing reported to date for distannoxane-based double ladders. DFT calculations were conducted for both hexanuclear cage compound and a related octanuclear congener alongside experimental work.