The reaction of SnCl
2 with [LiR
N(tmeda)]
2 [R
N = CH(SiBu
tMe
2)C
5H
4N-2; tmeda =
N,
N,
N',
N'-tetramethylethylenediamine)] in various stoichiometric ratios afforded a binuclearchlorotin(II) alkyl [Sn(Cl)R
N]
2 (
1) and zwitterionic lithium trialkylstannate comple
xes[{(SnR
N3)Li}{(
3-Cl){Li(tmeda)
2}(
2-Cl)] (
2) and [{(SnR
N3)Li}(
3-Cl)Li(tmeda)]
2 (
3). X-raystructure analysis has shown that the anionic N-functionalized alkyl ligand (R
N)
- in
1 actsas a bridging ligand joining the two tin atoms to form an eight-membered ring in a "boat"conformation. Compounds
2 and
3 consist of one and two lithium trialkylstannate ion pairs[SnR
N3]
-Li
+ bound to the chlorine atom of the [LiCl(tmeda)]
2 fragment, respectively. Thelithium ion in the ion pair is coordinated via the pyridyl nitrogens to form a cage.