Synthesis, characterization and antibacterial activity of some new triphenyltin(IV) sulfanylcarboxylates:: Crystal structure of [(SnPh3)2(p-mpspa)], [(SnPh3)2(cpa)] and [(SnPh3)2(tspa)(DMSO)]

Five new triphenyltin(IV) sulfanylcarboxylates of the general formula [(SnPh3)(2)L] (L = pspa, tspa, fspa, p-mpspa or cpa, where p = 3-(2-phenyl)-, t = 3-(2-thienyl)-, f = 3-(2-furyl)-, p-mp = 3-(4-methoxyphenyl)-, spa = 2-sulfanylpropenoato and cpa = 2-cyclopentilyden-2-sulfanylacetate) have been synthesized by reacting triphenyltin(IV) hydroxide with the corresponding acid in ethanol/acetone. The complexes have been characterized by elemental analysis and mass spectrometry and by vibrational and NMR (H-1, C-13, Sn-119) spectroscopies. In the case of [(SnPh3)(2)(p-mpspa)] and [(SnPh3)(2)(cpa)], X-ray structural studies showed that in both compounds each Sri atom is coordinated to three phenyl C atoms and to one S or O atom of the bridge ligand L. All five complexes are active against strains of Staphylococcus aureus, but are inactive against Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. From a solution of [(SnPh3)(2)(tspa)] in DMSO-d(6) the new complex [(SnPh3)(2)(tspa)(DMSO)] was isolated. The single-crystal X-ray diffractometric study of this complex is also reported, showing that both Sn atoms are bridged by the tspa ligand, whereas the molecule of DMSO is coordinated to one of the tin atoms via the oxygen atom. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.