Synthesis and Structure of a Heptacoordinate Trichlorostannane Bearing a Triarylmethyl-Type Tetradentate Ligand

Trichloro[tris(3-tert-butyl-6-methoxyphenyl)methyl]stannane
(1), containing a tetradentate ligand with three methoxy
groups as coordinating sites, was synthesized by the reaction of the
corresponding (triarylmethyl)lithium species with tin tetrachloride.
In contrast to the cases of the previously reported silicon and germanium
analogues, 1 decomposed during column chromatography
on silica gel and was slightly unstable against moisture. X-ray crystallographic
analysis of 1 showed a heptacoordinate structure with
interatomic distances between the oxygen atom and the central tin
atom shorter than the sum of van der Waals radii.