Advancement of the chemistry of organotin–Schiff base complexes: a crystallographic perspective

Abstract

This comprehensive review delves into the intricate realm of organotin complexes with Schiff base ligands, offering a detailed analysis of their structural characteristics and coordination behaviour. The study meticulously compiles and critically evaluates organotin complexes that have undergone structural elucidation via the powerful technique of X-ray crystallography, providing a robust foundation for understanding their three-dimensional architectures and bonding motifs. A central focus is directed towards the coordination versatility exhibited by Schiff bases derived from a diverse array of precursors, including amino acids, hydrazines, hydrazones, dihydrazones, and amino alcohols, which showcase their remarkable ability to engage with tin centres in multifaceted ways, supporting a spectrum of coordination geometries and oxidation states. Aliphatic and aromatic Schiff bases are explored extensively, revealing their propensity to form diverse additives and chelates with varying stoichiometries and coordination mechanisms, existing in both neutral and deprotonated forms.