Di- and tri-organotin(IV) complexes of the new bis(1-methyl-1H-imidazol-2-ylthio)acetate ligand and the decarboxylated analogues

The new sodium bis(1-methyl-1H-imidazol-2-ylthio)acetate, Na[(S-tim)2CHCO2], has been prepared in ethanol solution using 2-mercapto-1-methylimidazole, dibromoacetic acid and NaOH. New di- and tri-organotin(IV) derivatives have been synthesized from reaction between SnRnCl4−n (R = Ph, Cy and nBu, n = 2–3) acceptors and Na[(S-tim)2CHCO2]. Complexes of the type {[κ1O-(S-tim)2CHCO2]SnR3} and related decarboxylated species {[κ2N,N-(S-tim)2CH2]SnR2Cl2} have been obtained and characterized by elemental analyses, FT-IR, ESIMS and multinuclear (1H, 13C and 119Sn) NMR spectral data. The adduct {κ1O-[(S-tim)2CHCO2]Sn(H2O)(C4H9)3} was characterized by single crystal X-ray studies. The dichloromethane reaction solution of {κ1O-[(S-tim)2CHCO2]Sn(C6H5)3} was re-crystallized and the decarboxylated species {[(S-tim)2CH2]SnCl(H2O)(C6H5)3} was obtained as a crystalline solid and characterized by X-ray crystallography.