Swelling ability and Lewis acidity of layered octosilicate modified with isolated dialkyltin species

Layered polysilicates are attractive materials for modification with single metal catalysts while controlling the local structures. The reaction between layered octosilicate and dibutyltin dichloride resulted in the immobilization of well-defined dibutyltin groups on the silicate surfaces. The interlayer-swelling ability in N-methylformamide was confirmed. The Lewis acidity of the dibutyltin site was indicated by intercalating trimethylphosphine oxide. A comparison of dibutyltin-modified octosilicate with a dimethyltin-modified one indicated that the length of the alkyl group bonded to Sn affected the interlayer accessibility.