Sciencemadness Discussion Board

SnI4 (Tin tetraiodide) and CH3MgBr HELP!!!

Westy6711 - 2-10-2011 at 03:45

Hi,

I have searched for literally days and days.

If i have SnI4 and CH3MgBr, what would the balanced equation and products be?

I know its to do with grignard, but im lost.

Please help :)

unionised - 2-10-2011 at 04:23

How hard did you look?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetramethyltin

francis - 2-10-2011 at 04:28

You will form tetramethylstannane:

SnI4 + 4CH3MgBr -> (CH3)4-Sn +
4MgIBr

(I'm not sure about the MgBr or the iodine unfortunately, but these minor products seem reasonable and give a balanced equation. I know that a tetraalkyltin compound will form however as the major product.)


Check out this from Google Books, called 'Organotin Chemistry'
Organotin Chemistry.
""The reaction of an organomagnesium compound with tin tetrachloride ... is usually ...taken to the stage of complete tetraalkylation."
Also from the Tin(IV) chloride wikipedia page:
"With Grignard reagents tetraalkyltin compounds can be prepared SnCl4 + RMgCl → SnR4 "



[Edited on 2-10-2011 by francis]

barley81 - 2-10-2011 at 04:31

Just equation correction:
SnI<sub>4</sub> + 4 CH<sub>3</sub>MgBr --> (CH<sub>3</sub>;)<sub>4</sub>Sn + 4 MgBrI (magnesium is divalent!)