Amino derivatives of metals and metalloids : III. Metal amines as reagents for synthesis of organometallics; especially the reactions of aminostannanes with protic species

Abstract

(Dialkylamino)trialkylstannanes, R 3Sn-NR′ 2, are very reactive reagents. With protic species HA, including hydrogen chloride, water, alcohols, ammonia and primary and secondary amines, diphenylphosphine, diphenylarsine, acetylene and monosubstituted acetylenes, cyclopentadiene and indene, they readily eliminate amine R′ 2NH and afford organotin products of formula R 3Sn-A. Nitriles and nitro-compounds, with α-hydrogen atoms, and acetone are believed to behave similarly in the primary step but side-reactions also are prominent. The great facility of reaction is, in the main, attributed to a weak SnN, bond and it is predicted that these reactions are capable of wide extension not only into the domain of organotin-amino compounds, but also into similar derivatives of other, particularly the more electropositive, metals. This is demonstrated by a synthesis of ferrocene from an iron diethylamide and cyclopentadiene. The amino-derivatives of the elements are very briefly surveyed.