Tin(II) aminoalkoxides and heterobimetallic derivatives: the structures of Sn6(O)4(dmae)4, Sn6(O)4(OEt)4 and [Sn(dmae)2Cd(acac)2]2

Tin(II) methoxide reacts with N,N′‐dimethylaminoethanol (dmaeH) to yield Sn(dmae)2 (1) along with small amounts of the hydrolysis product Sn6(O)4(dmae)4 (2). The geometrically more regular iso‐structural cage Sn6(O)4(OEt)4 (3) was obtained as the only tractable product isolated from reaction of 2 and Sb(OEt)3, while 1 reacted with CdX2 (X = acac, I) to afford Sn(dmae)2Cd(acac)2 (4) and Sn(dmae)2CdI2 (5). The X‐ray structures of 2, 3 and 4 are reported. Decomposition of 4 under aerosol‐assisted chemical vapour deposition conditions leads to amorphous tin oxide films with no detectable cadmium (i.e. ca < 2% cadmium), rather than a stoichiometric Sn:Cd oxide.