Chemistry of a novel family of tridentate alkoxy tin(II) clusters.

The chemical interconversions observed for a novel family of trihydroxymethyl ethane (THME-H(3)) ligated Sn(II) compounds have been determined using single-crystal X-ray and (119)Sn NMR experiments. (mu-THME)(2)Sn(3) (1) was isolated from the reaction of 3 equiv of [Sn(NR(2))(2)](2) (R = SiMe(3)) with 4 equiv of THME as a unique trinuclear species capped above and below the plane of Sn atoms by two THME ligands. Upon reaction with "Sn(NR(2))(2)", compound 1 rearranged to yield another novel molecule [(mu-THME)Sn(2)(NR(2))](2) (2).