Oxidative activation of CoII in Schiff base complexes in the presence of n-butyltin trichloride: the molecular structure of BunSn(OMe)Cl2·CoCl(salen)[salen =N,N′-ethylenebis(salicylideneaminato)]

Abstract

Air stable chloroform solutions of Schiff base complexes of Co^II undergo rapid cobalt oxidation on addition of n-butyltin trichloride yielding complexes in which, as exemplified by the crystal structure of BuⁿSn(OMe)Cl₂·CoCl-(salen)[salen =N,N′-ethylenebis(salicylideneaminato)], the cobalt(III) Schiff base species behave as Lewis bases towards tin(IV).