Poly(vinyl chloride) stabilisation with organo-tin compounds—Part II: Catalysis of the dehydrochlorination by butyl-tin chlorides

Abstract

The catalytic effect of the various butyl-tin chlorides on the dehydrochlorination reaction of chlorohexene, used as a model compound for allylic chlorides in poly(vinyl chloride), has been studied in tetrahydrofuran and dichloroethane solutions. The reaction follows an E2 mechanism, the rate determining step being the formation of a delocalised allylic carbocation. The catalytic power is directly related to the Lewis acidity of the tin chlorides and, further, RSnCl 3 is comparable with ZnCl 2, although it is more sensitive to complexing with weak Lewis bases. In the presence of poly(vinyl chloride) at 180°C, these butyl-tin chlorides show a retardation effect on dehydrochlorination, superimposed on a catalytic effect which increases with the Lewis acidity; however, in these conditions, RSnCl 3 is much less efficient than ZnCl 2 in catalysing the dehydrochlorination reaction.