A Tris(3-pyridyl)stannane as a Building Block for Heterobimetallic Coordination Polymers and Supramolecular Cages

The systematic assembly of supramolecular arrangements is a persistent challenge in modern coordination chemistry, especially where further aspects of complexity are concerned, as in the case of large molecular mixed-metal arrangements. One targeted approach to such heterometallic complexes is to engineer metal-based donor ligands of the correct geometry to build 3D arrangements upon coordination to other metals. This simple idea has, however, only rarely been applied to main group metal-based ligand systems. Here, we show that the new, bench-stable tris(3-pyridyl)stannane ligand PhSn(3-Py)₃ (3-Py=3-pyridyl) provides simple access to a range of heterometallic Sn^IV/transition metal complexes, and that the presence of weakly coordinating counter anions can be used to build discrete molecular arrangements involving anion encapsulation. This work therefore provides a building strategy in this area, which parallels that of supramolecular transition metal chemistry.