Silica-anchored organotin trichloride: a recyclable and clean organotin catalyst for transesterification reactions.

A new synthetic scheme towards silica-supported organotrichlorotin derivatives has been developed. It involves the synthesis of (11-triethoxysilyl)undecyltricyclohexyltin, followed by sol-gel processing and, subsequently in the formation of the resulting hybrid silica, by electrophilic substitution of the tricyclohexyltin function by the target grafted trichlorotin using tin tetrachloride. HR-MAS (119)Sn and CP-MAS (29)Si NMR combined with N2-sorption and TEM measurements evidenced the formation of a mesoporous organic-inorganic hybrid silica including a functionally pure supported-organotrichlorotin species. This silica-grafted organotrichlorotin displays a satisfactory catalytic activity in the transesterification of ethyl acetate by 1-octanol. The catalyst could be recycled four times without significant loss of activity. Furthermore, tin leaching below 10 ppm evidences the benefits of the proposed strategy to limit tin contamination of the final products.

A new route towards nanoporous TiO2 as powders or thin films from the thermal treatment of titanium-based hybrid materials.

Calcination of cyclopentadienyltitanium-based organic-inorganic hybrid materials at 450-500 °C led to the formation of anatase titanium dioxide as white powders consisting of a porous network of aggregated nanoparticles, the nanoporosity detected being related to the inter-particle space. Depending on the calcination temperatures, the surface area of the titanium dioxide particles varied from 65 to 158 m(2) g(-1).

Self-assembled titanium-based hybrids with cyclopentadienyl-titanium network bonding.

Unprecedented stable hybrid materials with cyclopentadienyl-titanium bonds have been obtained from the hydrolysis of suitable precursors. Their inorganic network is not fully condensed and they show variable short-range self-organizations, the type of which depends on the shape of the ligands.

Linear or cross-shaped di(cyclopentadienyltitanium) compounds with aryl or heteroaryl spacers.

The preparation of hexamethylated and hexabenzylated arylene or heteroarylene bridged dinuclear di(cyclopentadienyltitanium) compounds from the reaction of the corresponding hexachlorides with methyllithium or benzylmagnesium chloride is described. The spacers between the cyclopentadienyl rings consist of one, two or three phenylene groups, a dioctyloxyphenylene group or a 2,2'-bithienylene group. The corresponding hexachlorides and hexaisopropoxides have also been prepared.

Low-temperature H2 sensing in self-assembled organotin thin films.

Self-assembled nanoporous tin-based hybrid thin films prepared by the sol-gel method from organically-bridged ditin hexaalkynides detect hydrogen gas from 50 to 200 °C at the 200-10,000 ppm level. This finding opens a fully new class of gas-sensing materials as well as a new opportunity to integrate organic functionality in gas sensing metal oxides.

A new spacer-induced organization in highly ordered tin-based hybrid materials.

The hydrolysis of a cross-shaped bridged alpha,varpi-bis(trialkynylstannylated) compound with long alkyl side chains leads to a highly ordered hybrid material with a new type of organization consisting of striped organic-inorganic layers alternating with alkyl chain layers.

Sn(3) and Sn(10) sulfonate-oxide-hydroxide clusters with two different sulfonate binding modes.

A tin sulfonate-oxide-hydroxide tetracation with two different sulfonate bindings, an electrostatic and a monohapto covalent one, and a tin sulfonate-oxide-hydroxide monocation with two other kinds of sulfonate bindings, an electrostatic and a dihapto bridging one are described here.

Particle growth of hybrid materials followed by dynamic light scattering.

The hydrolysis of distannylated compounds in which the tin atoms are linked by an organic spacer has been studied under microemulsion conditions using dynamic light scattering and infrared spectroscopy. The experiments provided evidence that the growth of hybrid material particles occurs in the aqueous phase, outside the organic phase of the microemulsion. The growth rates of the particles were found to be strongly dependent on the nature of the spacers, a polymethylene chain inducing the fastest process. This different behavior was explained by a slower condensation process rather than a slower hydrolysis. The high surface areas measured for the hybrid materials could be explained by a possible coating of the hybrid particles by surfactant molecules, thus preventing either their growth or their aggregation.

A doubly folded spacer in a self-assembled hybrid material.

The hydrolysis of a bridged alpha,omega-bis(trialkynylstannylated) compound leads to a hybrid material ordered by self-assembly where the spacer forms two six-membered [1,2]oxastanninane rings by intramolecular coordination.

Alkylchlorotins grafted to cross-linked polystyrene beads by a -(CH2)n- spacer (n=4, 6, 11): selective, clean and recyclable catalysts for transesterification reactions.

Insoluble polystyrene grafted compounds of the type (P-H)(1-t){P-(CH2)n SnBu(p)Cl(3-p)}(t), (P-H)(1-t){P-(CH2)n SnBuO}(t) and (P-H)(1-t)[{P-(CH2)n SnBuCl}2O](t/2), in which (P-H) is a cross-linked polystyrene; n=4, 6, and 11; p=0 and 1; and t the degree of functionalisation, were synthesised from Amberlite XE-305, a polystyrene cross-linked with divinylbenzene. The compounds were characterised by using elemental analysis, and IR, Raman, solid-state 117Sn NMR, and 1H and 119Sn high-resolution MAS NMR spectroscopy. The influence of the spacer length and the tin functionality on the catalytic activity of these compounds, as well as their recycling ability, was assessed in the transesterification reaction of ethyl acetate with various alcohols. These studies showed significant differences in the activity of the catalysts interpreted in terms of changes in the mobility of the catalytic centres. Some of the supported catalysts could be recycled at least seven times without noticeable loss of activity. The residual tin content in the reaction products was found to be as low as 3 ppm.

Self-assembled tin-based bridged hybrid materials.

Hybrid materials where layers of tin oxide alternate with layers of hydrophobic organic chains were prepared by the hydrolysis of distannylated compounds containing an organic chain alpha,omega-disubstituted by tripropynylstannyl groups. In the case of an aliphatic chain, hydrolysis under microemulsion conditions led to the organization of the corresponding hybrid. These hydrolysis conditions also induced a high surface area and a defined mesoporosity in the hybrid. When a mixed aromatic-aliphatic spacer was used, weak hydrophobic interactions between the spacers were sufficient to generate the same type of organization in the corresponding material.

Dichlorodistannoxane transesterification catalysts, pure Lewis acids.

Dialkoxy- or diacyloxy-distannoxanes were transformed into unsymmetrical acyloxyalkoxydistannoxanes during a transesterification reaction where they were used as catalysts, while more active dichlorodistannoxanes were recovered unchanged.

Dichlorobis(pyridine-kappa N)bis(3,3,3-trifluoropropyl-kappa C(1))tin(IV).

In the title compound, [Sn(C(3)H(4)F(3))(2)Cl(2)(C(5)H(5)N)(2)], the Sn atom lies on an inversion centre and is octahedrally coordinated by two Cl atoms, two trifluoropropyl groups and two N atoms in an all-trans configuration. The electronegative trifluoropropyl groups increase the electrophilic properties of the Sn atom, and the Sn[bond]Cl and Sn[bond]N bonds are shortened in comparison with those reported for analogous compounds.

Transmetalation of Tetraalkynyltin Compounds with Grignard Reagents: Access to Mono- and Dialkyltin Products.

Monoalkyltrialkynyl- and dialkyldialkynyltin compounds can be selectively synthesized by transmetalation of tetraalkynyltin compounds with Grignard reagents; an example is given in Equation (1). This reaction provides a route to mono- and dialkyltin compounds that avoids the use of strongly electrophilic reagents. The labile tin-alkynyl bonds allow the transmetalation products to be converted into alkyltin oxides, chlorides, and alkoxides.