Synthesis, microbiological study and X-ray structural characterisation of a tri-n-butylstannyl-2[4(diethylamino)arylazo]benzenecarboxylate

Organostannyl carboxylates adopt an interesting range of structural variations leading to different structure–activity relationship. Organostannyl-2(arylazo)benzenecarboxylates, reported here, inhibit Gram-positive bacterial growth with an average MIC 10–20 μgml−1, which is below the lethal dose. The discrete molecular units of this series of compounds function as an anisobidentate chelating ligand, thus rendering the Sn atom five coordinated and adopt a polymeric form. The present work reports the X-ray crystallographic structure of tri-n-butylstannyl-2[4(diethylamino)arylazo]benzenecarboxylate and microbial studies in order to get insight into the mode of action of such compounds in biology.