Variation of the Molecular Conformation, Shape, and Cavity Size in Dinuclear Metalla-Macrocycles Containing Hetero-Ditopic Dithiocarbamate-Carboxylate Ligands from a Homologous Series of N-Substituted Amino Acids.

A homologous series of dithiocarbamate ligands derived from N-substituted amino acids was reacted with different diorganotin dichlorides to give 18 diorganotin complexes. Spectroscopic and mass spectrometric analysis evidenced the formation of assemblies with six-coordinate tin atoms embedded in skewed-trapezoidal bipyramidal coordination environments of composition C ₂ SnS ₂ O ₂ . Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis for three of the compounds revealed a one-dimensional polymeric structure for the complex with the ligand derived from 5-aminopentanoic acid, which through further intermolecular Sn···O interactions generated an overall two-dimensional coordination polymer containing 40-membered hexanuclear tin macrocycles. On the contrary, the ligands derived from 6-aminohexanoic and 8-aminooctanoic acid provided the expected 22- and 26-membered dinuclear macrocyclic structures. Density functional theory calculations for a representative series of macrocyclic complexes of composition [Me ₂ SnLx] ₂ with Lx = ¯S ₂ CN(Me)-(CH ₂ ) _x -COO¯ (x = 3-12) enabled a detailed analysis of the variations in the molecular conformation, shape, and cavity size of the macrocycles in dependence of the aliphatic spacer. Because of odd-even effects, the difunctional ligands can adopt either a curved or a twisted-pincer shape, while the SnS _x O _4-x (x = 0-4) moieties can act either as linear or angular tectons with varying connectivity angles.