Synthesis and characterization of N , N ‐diethyldithiocarbamate complexes of 2‐alkoxycarbonylethyltin trichloride

N , N ‐Diethyldithiocarbamate complexes of 2‐alkoxycarbonylethyltin trichloride, ROCOCH 2 CH 2 SnCl 3− x [S 2 CNEt 2 ] x (R = CH 3 ( a ); CH 3 CH 2 ( b ); CH 2 CHCH 2 ( c ); CH 3 CH 2 CH 2 ( d ); CH 3 CH 2 CH 2 CH 2 ( e ); x = 1 ( 1 ), 2 ( 2 )) were synthesized and characterized by means of elemental analysis, IR, and NMR ( 1 H, 13 C and 119 Sn) spectra. The crystal structure of 1b (i.e. R = CH 3 CH 2 , x = 1) was determined and shows that the tin atom adopts a distorted octahedral geometry with both a five‐membered chelate ring, formed via carbonyl coordination to tin, and a four‐membered chelate ring, formed by the bidentate dithiocarbamate. The spectral data and ab initio calculations indicate that intramolecular carbonyl‐oxygen to tin coordination in 1a–1e persists, but not in 2a–2e , owing to the preference of the dithiocarbamate ligands to chelate the tin centre. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.