Methyltin trinitrate and a comparison of its properties with other methyltin nitrates

Methyltin trinitrate has been prepared by the reaction of dinitrogen pentoxide on methyltin trichloride in carbon tetrachloride, followed by sublimation in vacuo at 60 °C. Conductivities and ultraviolet spectra of methyltin trinitrate in several solvents are reported. Vibrational spectra indicate that the three nitrato groups are all bonded in the same bidentate manner and the reactivity of the compound towards aliphatic hydrocarbons and diethyl ether shows that the compound is chemically similar to tin(IV) nitrate. The vibrational spectrum of methyltin trinitrate is compared with those for trimethyltin nitrate, dimethyltin dinitrate, and tin(IV) nitrate. Nuclear magnetic resonance spectra have been determined for the series MenSn(NO3)4−n (n = 1,…, 4), and a comparison of the 117Sn– and 119Sn–proton coupling constants for the series has been made showing that the tin atom becomes more electron deficient and has more s character in its bonding orbital to carbon as n decreases. The pyridine adduct MeSn(NO3)3•2py has been prepared and the infrared spectrum of this compound indicates that the nitrate groups are unidentate.