Role of O,C,O-ligand in a new coordination mode of organotin compounds to 2-mercapto-1-methylimidazol. Stabilization of its thione form

The reaction of the organotin compound [Ph2LSn]+ [OTf]− (1), (L(O,C,O) = 2,6-(t-BuOCH2)2C6H3), with the sodium salt Na(mimt), mimt = 1-methylimidazole-2-thiolate, resulted in the isolation of Ph2LSn(mimt) (2), where the polar group (mimt) has been stabilized as the thione-tautomeric form by the triorganotin fragment Ph2LSn. Product 2 was characterized by 1H, 13C and 119Sn NMR and IR spectroscopy, ESI/MS, elemental analyses and X-ray diffraction.