The title trimethyl-tin(IV) carboxyl-ate, [Sn(CH(3))(3)(C(11)H(11)O(2))](n), is a carboxyl-ate-bridged polymer in which the Sn atom exists in a trans-C(3)SnO(2) trigonal bipyramidal coordination. One Sn-O bond is a covalent bond [2.114 (2) Å], whereas the other is a dative bond [2.607 (2) Å]. The polymeric chain propagates along the b axis of the monoclinic unit cell.

A molecule is formed by the combination of atoms and in the process they attain the electronic configuration of an inert gas. A chemical bond is formed as a result of attraction between the combining atoms. To explain the formation of bonds in diatomic molecules, such as H2, O2, N2, Cl2 etc., it was first suggested by G.N. Lewis that atoms of such molecules attain an inert gas electronic config...

We describe the development of Lewis's ideas concerning the chemical bond and in particular the concept of the electron pair bond and the octet rule. We show that the concept of the electron pair bond has endured to the present day and is now understood to be a consequence of the Pauli principle. In contrast the octet rule is now regarded as much less important than was originally generally bel...

In this paper, I will look at the rather convoluted discovery process which gave birth to the concept of the shared electron pair bond as developed by G.N. Lewis, to be subsequently appropriated by the American founders of quantum chemistry, and highlight the complex relations between conceptual development and the different contexts in which ideas are created and presented. I will show how the...

Both symmetry and organized breaking of symmetry have a pivotal rôle in our understanding of structure and pattern formation in physical systems, including the origin of mass in the Universe and the chiral structure of biological macromolecules. Here we report on a new symmetry breaking phenomenon that takes place in all biologically active proteins, thus this symmetry breaking relates to the i...

Supramolecular organic photochemistry, a field concerned with the interaction of light with supramolecular assemblies of organic molecules, has been inspired by the remarkable structural and dynamic features of guest@host chemistry, particularly as exemplified by enzymes. Exemplars of supramolecular organic photochemistry from soft-matter hosts (micelles) and hard-matter hosts (porous solids) a...

With the advent of reversible covalent chemistry the study of the interplay between covalent bond formation and noncovalent interactions has become increasingly relevant. Here we report that the interplay between reversible disulfide chemistry and self-assembly can give rise either to molecular diversity, i.e., the emergence of a unprecedentedly large range of macrocycles or to molecular specif...

The three dimensional shape or configuration of a molecule is an important characteristic. This shape is dependent on the preferred spatial orientation of covalent bonds to atoms having two or more bonding partners. Three dimensional configurations are best viewed with the aid of models. In order to represent such configurations on a two-dimensional surface (paper, blackboard or screen), we oft...

In contrast to the traditional mechanism of drug action that relies on the reversible, noncovalent interaction of a ligand with its biological target, a targeted covalent inhibitor (TCI) is designed such that the initial, reversible association is followed by the formation of a covalent bond between an electrophile on the ligand and a nucleophilic center in the protein. Although this approach o...