CATALYTIC DEHYDROPOLYMERIZATION OF DI-N-BUTYLSTANNANE N-BU2SNH2 BY GROUP-4 AND GROUP-6 TRANSITION-METAL COMPLEXES

The catalytic dehydrocoupling of di-n-butylstannane n-Bu2SnH2 by the C p2MCl2/Red-Al (M = Ti, Zr, Hf) and M(CO)(6)/Red-Al in situ combination catalysts yielded a mixture of two kinds of catenated products: one i s a cross-linked insoluble solid, and the other is a non-cross-linked soluble solid (approximate to Sn-5) or viscous oil (approximate to Sn- 2). The soluble oligostannanes could be produced by simple dehydrocoup ling of n-Bu2SnH2, whereas the insoluble polystannanes could be obtain ed via disproportionation/dehydrocoupling combination process of n-Bu2 SnH2. The disproportionation/dehydrocoupling combination process may i nitially produce a low-molecular-weight oligostannane with partial bac kbone Sn-H bonds which could then undergo an extensive cross-linking r eaction of backbone Sn-H bonds, resulting in the formation of an insol uble polystannane.