Heterogeneous organotin catalysts

1. An organotin compound of the formula X2, or X3:

wherein

Z is a spacer group;

R 4 is C 1 -C 18 alkyl, C 1 -C 18 alkylene, phenyl, vinyl, allyl, naphthyl, or aralkyl;

R 5 and R 6 are independently selected from the group consisting of halogen, C 1 -C 18 alkyl, C 1 -C 18 alkylene, phenyl, vinyl, allyl, naphthyl, and aralkyl, with the proviso that at least one of R 5 R 6 is a halogen; R 4 -R 6 are each linear or branched; and

Y is an insoluble phenyl-group containing copolymer.

2. An organotin compound as recited in claim 1 wherein Y is selected from the group consisting of acrylnitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer, polystyrene-based copolymer, methyl methacrylate-butadiene-styrene copolymer, polyphenylene ether (co)polymer, polyethylene terephthalate, polyphenylene sulfide, polyurethane and polyamide.

3. An organotin compound of the formula X1, X2, or X3:

wherein

Z is —(CH 2 ) m —;

m is a number of from 4 to 24;

and Y is an insoluble phenyl-group containing copolymer,

R 1 , R 2 , R 3 are independently selected from the group consisting of halogen, C 1 -C 18 alkyl, C 1 -C 18 alkylene, phenyl, vinyl, allyl, naphthyl, and aralkyl, with the proviso that at least one of R 1 , R 2 , or R 3 is a halogen;

R 4 is C 1 -C 18 alkyl, C 1 -C 18 alkylene, phenyl, vinyl, allyl, naphthyl, or aralkyl;

R 5 and R 6 are independently selected from the group consisting of halogen, C 1 -C 18 alkyl, C 1 -C 18 alkylene, phenyl, vinyl, allyl, naphthyl, and aralkyl, with the proviso that at least one of R 5 or R 6 is a halogen

with the proviso that when m is 4 or 6, two of R 1 , R 2 , and R 3 are not chlorine.

4. An organtin compound as recited in claim 3 wherein R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 5 , and R 6 are halogen or C 4 -C 8 alkyl, and R 4 is C 4 -C 8 alkyl.

5. An organtin compound as recited in claim 3 wherein R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 5 , and R 6 are chlorine, butyl, or octyl, and R 4 is butyl.

6. A process for the preparation of an organotin compound as recited in claim 3 comprising the steps of:

(a) reacting a suitable metal with a poly (styrene-co-divinylbenzene) copolymer under conditions effective to replace the phenyl-hydrogen in the poly(styrene-co-divinylbenzene) copolymer with the suitable metal, to produce a metalated poly(styrene-co-divinylbenzene) copolymer;

(b) reacting the metalated poly(styrene-co-divinylbenzene) copolymer with a dihalogen spacer molecule, under conditions effective to produce a spacer-halogen poly(styrene-co-divinylbenzene) copolymer; and

(c) grafting the spacer-halogen poly(styrene-co-divinylbenzene) copolymer with an organotin hydride under conditions effective to yield the organotin compounds recited in claim 3 .

7. A process as recited in claim 6 wherein the suitable metal is Li, Na, K, or Mg.

8. A process as recited in claim 6 wherein the dihalogen spacer molecule is an α,ω-dihalogen alkane.

9. A process as recited in claim 6 wherein the dihalogen spacer molecule is an α,ω-chloro-bromo alkane.

10. A process as recited in claim 6 wherein the dihalogen spacer molecule is 1-bromo-4-chloro butane or 1-bromo-11-chloro undecane.