Synthesis of a cyclic dinuclear organotin carboxylate via simultaneous debenzylation and decarbonylation reactions: X-ray crystal structure of [(PhCH2)2{O2CC6H4{N(H)N(C6H3-4(O)-5-O)}-o}Sn]2

An unprecedented complex, [(PhCH2)2{O2CC6H4{N(H)N(C6H3-4(O)-5-O)}-o}Sn]2 (1), is obtained as the exclusive reaction product from the reaction of sodium 2-[(E)-2-(3-formyl-4-hydroxyphenyl)-1-diazenyl]benzoate and (PhCH2)3SnCl. Complete assignments were achieved by 1H, 13C, 2D 1H-119Sn HMQC (119Sn chemical shift), 1D gs 1H-15N HMQC (1J(15N, 1H) coupling constant) NMR and ESI-MS. Two polymorphs of compound 1 (1a and 1b) were identified by X-ray diffraction analyses and their structures differ primarily in the packing arrangement afforded by the benzyl groups.