Tetraethyltin or tetraethyl tin is a chemical compound with the formula , that is, a tin atom attached to four ethyl groups. It is an important example of an organotin compound, often abbreviated as TET.
Tetraethyltin is a colourless flammable liquid, soluble in diethyl ether and insoluble in water, that freezes at −112 °C and boils at 181 °C.SAFC corp, tetraethyltin catalog page. Accessed on 2011-01-18. It is used in the electronics industry.
Tetraethyltin can be obtained by reacting ethylmagnesium bromide with tin(IV) chloride:G. J. M. Van Der Kerk and J. G. A. Luijten (1956), "Tetraethyltin". Organic Syntheses, volume 36, page 86; Coll. Vol. 4, p.881 (1963)
The same reaction can be used to obtain tetra-n-propyltin and tetra-n-butyltin.
Tetraethyltin is converted in the body to the more toxic triethylstannylium ions.Jill E. Cremer (1958), "The biochemistry of organotin compounds. The conversion of tetraethyltin into triethyltin in mammals". Biochem J. volume 68, issue 4, pages 685–692. Cremer refers to the ions as the ambiguous "triethyltin", but cites H. B. Stoner, J. M. Barnes, and J. I. Duff (1955), Brit. J. Pharmacol. volume 10, issue 16, which indicates that the compounds in question are triethyltin hydroxide and sulfate.
See also Tetraethylmethane Tetraethylsilane Tetraethylgermane Tetraethylplumbane
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