Tetraethyltin or tetraethyl tin is a chemical compound

Chemical compound

A chemical compound is a pure chemical substance consisting of two or more different chemical elements that can be separated into simpler substances by chemical reactions. Chemical compounds have a unique and defined chemical structure; they consist of a fixed ratio of atoms that are held together...

 with formula and molecular structure (CH₃CH₂)₄Sn, that is, a tin

Tin

Tin is a chemical element with the symbol Sn and atomic number 50. It is a main group metal in group 14 of the periodic table. Tin shows chemical similarity to both neighboring group 14 elements, germanium and lead and has two possible oxidation states, +2 and the slightly more stable +4...

 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

Diethyl ether

Diethyl ether, also known as ethyl ether, simply ether, or ethoxyethane, is an organic compound in the ether class with the formula . It is a colorless, highly volatile flammable liquid with a characteristic odor...

 and insoluble in water, that freezes at -112°C and boils at 181°C. It is used in the electronics industry.

Tetraethyltin can be obtained by reacting ethylmagnesium bromide

Ethylmagnesium bromide

Ethylmagnesium bromide is a Grignard reagent with formula C2H5MgBr or C2H5Mg+·Br−, namely a magnesium ion with a covalent bond to an ethyl group and an ionic bond to a bromine anion...

 with tin(IV) chloride

Tin(IV) chloride

Tin chloride, also known as tin tetrachloride or stannic chloride is a chemical compound with the formula SnCl4.At room temperature it is a colourless liquid, which fumes on contact with air, giving a stinging odor...

:

SnCl₄ + 4 (C₂H₅)MgBr → (CH₃CH₂)₄Sn + 4 MgBrCl

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 triethyltin.