The first spacer-bridged tetraorganodistannoxanes with a mixed double ladder structure

The reaction of Me₃SiCH₂Cl₂Sn(CH₂)₃SnCl₂Ph (6) with (tBu₂SnO)₃ gave a statistical mixture of the corresponding tetraorganodistannoxanes whereas the reaction of the spacer-bridged ditin tetrachlorides RCl₂Sn(CH₂)₄SnCl₂R (3, R = Me₃CCH₂; 4, R = Me₂CHCH₂; 10, R = Me₃SiCH₂) with the polymeric spacer-bridged ditin oxides [R(O)Sn(CH₂)₄Sn(O)R]_n (7, R = Me₂CHCH₂; 8, R = Me₃CCH₂; 11, R = Me₃SiCH₂) provided the mixed double ladder compounds {[R(Cl)Sn(CH₂)₄Sn(Cl)R][R(Cl)Sn(CH₂)₄Sn(Cl)R']O₂}₂ (9, R = Me₃CCH₂, R' = Me₂CHCH₂; 12, R = Me₃CCH₂, R' = Me₃SiCH₂) in almost quantitative yield. In solution, 9 and 12 are in equilibrium with their corresponding dimers, as was evidenced by ¹¹⁹Sn NMR spectroscopy, molecular mass determination, and electrospray mass spectrometry. The molecular structures of 9 and 12 were established by single crystal X-ray diffraction.

Trimethylene-bridged tetraorganodistannoxanes{[Me3SiCH2(RCOO)Sn(CH2)3Sn(OOCR)CH2SiMe3]O}n(R=Ph,2,4-Me2C6H3): control of structure by variation of R*

The synthesis of trimethylene-bridged carboxylate-substituted tetraorganodistannoxanes {[Me_3SiCH_2(RCOO)Sn(CH_2)_3Sn(OOCR)CH_2SiMe_3]O}_n (1, R = Ph; 2, R = 2,4-Me_2C_6H_3) is reported. Depending on the structure of R, in the solid state these compounds are either dimers (1, n = 2, cis-isomer) with a ladder-type structure or tetramers (2, n = 4) with a double ladder-type structure.