In an attempt to tailor precursors
for application in the deposition
of phase pure SnO, we have evaluated a series of tin (1–6) ureide complexes. The complexes were successfully
synthesized by employing N,N′-trialkyl-functionalized
ureide ligands, in which features such as stability, volatility, and
decomposition could be modified with variation of the substituents
on the ureide ligand in an attempt to find the complex with the ideal
electronic, steric, or coordinative properties, which determine the
fate of the final products. The tin(II) ureide complexes 1-6 were synthesized by direct reaction [Sn{NMe2}2] with aryl and alkyl isocyanates in a 1:2 molar ratio.
All the complexes were characterized by NMR spectroscopy as well as
elemental analysis and, where applicable, thermogravimetric (TG) analysis. The single-crystal
X-ray diffraction studies of 2, 3, 4, and 6 revealed that the complexes crystallize
in the monoclinic space group P2(1)/n (2 and 4) or in the triclinic space group P-1 (3 and 6) as monomers. Reaction
with phenyl isocyanate results in the formation of the bimetallic
species 5, which crystallizes in the triclinic space
group P-1, a consequence of incomplete insertion
into the Sn-NMe2 bonds, versus mesityl isocyanate, which
produces a monomeric double insertion product, 6, under
the same conditions, indicating a difference in reactivity between
phenyl isocyanate and mesityl isocyanate with respect to insertion
into Sn-NMe2 bonds. The metal centers in these complexes
are all four-coordinate, displaying either distorted trigonal bipyramidal
or trigonal bipyramidal geometries. The steric influence of the imido-ligand
substituent has a clear effect on the coordination mode of the ureide
ligands, with complexes 2 and 6, which contain
the cyclohexyl and mesityl ligands, displaying κ2-O,N coordination modes, whereas
κ2-N,N′
coordination modes are observed for the sterically bulkier tert-butyl and adamantyl derivatives, 3 and 4. The thermogravimetric analysis of the complexes 3 and 4 exhibited excellent physicochemical properties
with clean single-step curves and low residual masses in their TG
analyses suggesting their potential utility of these systems as MOCVD
and ALD precursors.