Stabilisation of metals in a low co-ordinative environment using the bis(trimethylsilyl)methyl ligand; coloured Sn II and Pb II alkyls, M[CH(SiMe3)2]2

(Me3Si)2CHLi and SnCl2 in ether at 0° give Sn[CH(SiMe3)2]2, which is diamagnetic at room temperature and behaves chemically as a singlet ‘stannylene’, yielding complexes such as R2SnM′(CO)5(M′= Cr or Mo).