Organometallic reactions. Part XV. Addition–elimination reactions involving the Sn–O bond and the carbonyl group: a new route to trihalogenomethyltin compounds
Tributyltin methoxide and bistributyltin oxide displace a trihalogenomethyl group from a carbonyl centre by an addition–elimination mechanism, providing a route to tributyltrichloromethyltin and tributyltribromomethyltin. These compounds react with protolytic reagents, giving the corresponding halogenoforms. They decompose when they are heated to give the corresponding dibutyltin dihalides as a major product, and do not appear to be useful for transferring a dihalogenocarbene unit to an olefin.