Chlorotris(2,4,6-trimethylphenyl)tin(IV) and its ethanol hemisolvate

Chloro­tris(2,4,6‐tri­methyl­phenyl)­tin(IV), crystallizes from ethanol as solvent‐free needles, [Sn(C9H11)3Cl], (I), and as the hemisolvate, [Sn(C9H11)3Cl]·0.5C2H6O, (II). The asymmetric unit in (I) has three independent mol­ecules, whereas in (II), there are two [Sn(C9H11)3Cl] mol­ecules together with one ethanol molecule. In the unit cell of (II), the ethanol mol­ecules lie in channels between stacks of (Mes)3SnCl mol­ecules (Mes is 2,4,6‐tri­methyl­phenyl) and each ethanol mol­ecule is disordered (0.50:0.50) over two positions. A comparison of the structures of the title compounds and other (Mes)3SnX (X = F, Br or I) systems with those of the tri­phenyl­tin analogues shows that the steric requirements of the o‐CH3 groups are met by a flattening of the SnC3 skeleton and increases in the average Sn—X and Sn—C values. Comparing Sn—X data for (Mes)3SnX (X = F, Cl, Br or I) systems with values for the tris(o‐methoxy­phenyl)­tin analogues suggests that the Sn—F distance of 1.961 Å in (Mes)3SnF may well be characteristic of sterically unhindered four‐coordinate Ar3SnF systems.