Catalytic dehydropolymerization of di-n-butylstannane n-Bu2SnH2 by group 4 and 6 transition metal complexes

The catalytic dehydrocoupling of di-n-butylstannane n-Bu2SnH2 by the Cp2MCl2/Red-Al (M = Ti, Zr, Hf) and M(CO)(6)/Red-Al in situ combination catalysts yielded a mixture of two kinds of catenated products: one is a cross-linked insoluble solid, and the other is a non-cross-linked soluble solid (approximate to Sn-5) or viscous oil (approximate to Sn-2). The soluble oligostannanes could be produced by simple dehydrocoupling of n-Bu2SnH2, whereas the insoluble polystannanes could be obtained via disproportionation/dehydrocoupling combination process of n-Bu2SnH2. The disproportionation/dehydrocoupling combination process may initially produce a low-molecular-weight oligostannane with partial backbone Sn-H bonds which could then undergo an extensive cross-linking reaction of backbone Sn-H bonds, resulting in the formation of an insoluble polystannane.