Adsorption behaviour and qspr studies of organotin compounds on estuarine sediment

The adsorption behaviour of eight organotin species and Sn4+ (SnCl4) on estuarine sediments has been reported for the first time. It was found that the adsorption of organotins varies greatly with molecular structure. The order of adsorption coefficient k is Sn4+ > mono- > di-> tri-organotins. Corre lations of log k with eight different structural parameters show that the electronic properties of the Sn atom is the principal factor controlling the adsorption behaviour of organotins. The adsorption mechanism of organotins is mainly an ion-exchange process, with little lipophilic partitioning.