The Reaction of 3,6‐di‐<i>tert</i>‐butyl‐<i>o</i>‐benzoquinone with tin amalgam: Synthesis and structure of tin catecholato complexes

Abstract

Abstract The reduction of 3,6‐di‐ tert ‐butyl‐ o ‐benzoquinone with tin amalgam gives the different tin catecholate complexes. The use of polar solvents for this reaction leads to the formation of Cat 2 Sn · L 2 species (where Cat—dianion of 3,6‐di‐ tert ‐butylcatechol, L = Et 2 O, THF, Py). The reaction carried out in toluene produces the mixture of dicatecholate tin(IV) and catecholate tin(II) derivatives. The complex Cat 2 Sn · (Et 2 O) 2 was shown to be a good starting reagent for the preparation of different tin(IV) catecholate complexes of the type Cat 2 Sn · L′ (L′ = 1,2‐dimethoxyethane, 1,4‐di‐ tert ‐butyldiazadiene‐1,3, o ‐phenantrolyne, α,α′‐dipyridyl) using ligand exchange reactions. Compounds Cat 2 Sn · (Et 2 O) 2 , Cat 2 Sn · (THF) 2 , Cat 2 Sn · (Bu t NCHCHNBu t ), and (CatSn) 3 have been crystallographically characterized. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Heteroatom Chem 17:481–490, 2006; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ). DOI 10.1002/hc.20271