Triphenyltin hydride


Triphenyltin hydride is the organotin compound with the formula 3SnH. It is a colorless distillable oil that is soluble in organic solvents. It is often used as a source of "H·" to generate radicals or cleave carbon-oxygen bonds.

Preparation and reactions

Ph3SnH, as it is more commonly abbreviated, is prepared by treatment of triphenyltin chloride with lithium aluminium hydride. Although Ph3SnH is treated as a source of "H·", in fact it does not release free hydrogen atoms, which are extremely reactive species. Instead, Ph3SnH transfers H to substrates usually via a radical chain mechanism. This reactivity exploits the relatively good stability of "Ph3Sn·"