Stereochemical role of lone pairs in main-group elements. Part I. Structure and bonding in dichloro(1,4-dioxan)tin(II)

Abstract

The crystal structure of the title compound has been determined from X-ray diffractometer data by Patterson and Fourier methods. Crystals are monoclinic, space-group C2/c with Z= 4 in a unit cell of dimensions a= 7.825(1), b= 11.688(2), c= 9.172(1)Å, β= 98.01 (1)°. The structure was refined by least-squares methods to R 0.043 for 1 209 observed reflections. The structure consists of SnCl₂, units linked by dioxan ligands, in the chair conformation, to form polymeric arrays. The stereochemical activity of the tin lone pair is clearly evident and the metal–ligand bonding is discussed in terms of the tin 5s and 5p valence orbitals, without recourse to signifi-cant 5d contributions.