Hypervalent triphenyl and diphenyl tin coordination compounds derived from 2-(1H-benzimidazol-2-yl)phenol

Reactions of 2-(1H-benzimidazol-2-yl)phenol (1) and SnPh3Cl, SnPh2Cl2 and SnCl4 were investigated. One tetracoordinated triphenyltin(IV) compound: triphenyltin-2-(1H-benzimidazol-2-yl)phenolate] (3) and its adducts: [O → Sn] dimethylsulfoxide triphenyltin-[2-(1H-benzimidazol-2-yl)phenolate] (4), [O → Sn] aqua triphenyltin-[2-(1H-benzimidazol-2-yl)phenolate] (5) [O → Sn] ethanol triphenyltin-[2-(1H-benzimidazol-2-yl)phenolate] (6), [N → Sn] pyridine triphenyltin-[2-(1H-benzimidazol-2-yl)phenolate] (7), where 1 acts as a monodentate ligand bound through the phenol oxygen, were obtained. In the pentacoordinated compounds 4–7, the tin atom has tbp geometry. The three phenyl groups are in equatorial positions, whereas the benzimidazole and the Lewis base are in apical positions. Two hexacoordinated tin compounds: diphenyltin-bis[2-(1H-benzimidazol-2-yl-κN)phenolate-κO] (8), dichlorotin-bis[2-(1H-benzimidazol-2-yl-κN)phenolate-κO] (9) bearing two bidentate ligands are reported. The coplanar ligands in 8 and 9 form six membered rings by oxygen and nitrogen coordination. The tin geometry is all-trans octahedral. In 8 the two phenyl groups, and in 9 the two chlorine atoms are perpendicular to the plane of the ligands. Compounds were identified in solution mainly by 1H, 13C and 119Sn NMR and in the solid state by X-ray diffraction analysis.