Crystal structure of zinc[bis[3-(dimethylamino)propyl-C,N]tin]bis(dibenzoylmethanato)-(SnZn). The first example of a dialkyltin(II) compound stabilized by SnZn coordination

Reaction of bis[3-(dimethylamino)propyl]zinc with bis(dibenzoylmethanato)tin(II) affords novel zinc[bis[3-(dimethylamino)propyl-C,N]tin]bis(dibenzoyl-methanato)-(SnZn) (1) in a quantitative trans-metallation. The crystal structure of 1 has been determined by X-ray diffraction methods and reveals it to be a unique complex in which an intramolecularly coordinated dialkyltin(II) compound is acting as an electron donor to a zinc-β-diketonate acceptor molecule. The geometries about both tin and zinc are distorted trigonal bipyramidal and the donor SnZn bond (2.634(6) Å) occupies an equatorial position in each array. The 3-(dimethylamino)propyl groups are C,N-chelate bonded to Sn, with C(1) atoms at equatorial sites (CSnC 104(1)°) and the nitrogen atoms at axial sites (NSnN 161.8(8)°). The isolation and characterization of the title compound shows that dialkyltin(II) compounds can be stabilized by coordination to zinc-β-diketonates provided that (i) the zinc compound has appropriate acceptor properties and (ii) the alkyl groups bound to tin contain potential ligating functional groups.