A Review of Organotin Compounds: Chemistry and Applications

Abstract

The field of organotin chemistry has a long history that started since 1849, when Frankland isolated a specimen of diethyltin diiodide [1]. In 1852, Lowich reported on the reaction of alkyl halides with a tin-sodium alloy giving alkyltin compounds [2]. This last publication is usually considered to represent the beginning of organotin chemistry. By 1935, about hundreds of publications concerning organotin chemistry had appeared in the literature. At that time, important names had played a role in the development of organotin chemistry were Krause in Germany, Kraus in the United States, and Kozeshkov in Russia. The discovery of organotin compounds industrial applications as polyvinyl chloride (PVC) stabilizers, as agrochemicals, biocides, and wood preservatives produced a revival of organotin chemistry. Particularly van der Kerk and his co-workers in Netherlands played a major role in this development [3,4]. In early of 1960s it was found that the tin atom in organ tin compounds is capable of extending its coordination number beyond four. Based on colligative studies, the trimethyltin chloride pyridine adduct, Figure 1, was the first documented fivecoordinate triorganotin halide complex that was proven by X-ray crystal structure [5]. Though divalent tin compounds had known for a long time, bis (cyclopentadienyl) tin (II) was the first example of a divalent organotin compound that was reported in 1956 [6].