cis-Bis(acetonitrile)tetrachlorotin(IV) acetonitrile solvate, cis-tetrachlorobis(propiononitrile)tin(IV) propiono nitrile solvate, cis-tetrachlorobis(isobutyronitrile)tin(IV), cis-tetrachlorobis(cyclohexanecarbonitrile)tin(IV) and cis-tetrachlorobis(o-toluonitrile)tin(IV), all determined at ca 150 K

The structures of the title compounds, [SnCl4(C2H3N)2]·C2H3N, [SnCl4(C3H5N)2]·C3H5N, [SnCl4(C4H7N)2], [SnCl4(C7H11N)2] and [SnCl4(C8H7N)2], were determined with the intention of examining the effect of various substituent types in nitrile ligands, RCN, behaving in a common -donor situation {in this case, as cis-bis complexes with SnCl4, viz. [SnCl4(RCN)2]}, on (i) the strength of complex formation with the metal atom and (ii) other bonding behaviour of the metal (for example, trans effects). The five structures exhibit no non-trivial systematic perturbation that can be said to be contingent on the substituent type.