Cross-linked polystyrene resins containing triorganotin-4-vinylbenzoates: Assessment of their catalytic activity in transesterification reactions

Three new resins are synthesized by radical co-polymerization of triorganotin-4-vinylbenzoates (substituent at tin = Me, Bu or Ph) with styrene and 1,4-divinylbenzene. The products prepared have been characterized by FT-IR and NMR spectroscopy both in the solid state and as swollen samples, showing a predominantly tetracoordinated tin atom. The catalytic activity of the above resins in a transesterification reaction has been tested using ethyl acetate and primary, secondary or tertiary alcohol, showing good results with the former, but not with the latter ones. Focussing on the different triorganotin substituents, a comparison between the prepared resins and low molecular weight analogues evidences a lower activity of the resins, due to their inhomogeneous operating conditions. However, the triphenyltin functionalized resin shows a transesterification activity comparable to the corresponding model compound. The reaction mechanism and the effects of Lewis acidity of the different groups linked to tin have been investigated by 1H and 119Sn hr-MAS NMR.