THE POLARIZED INFRARED SPECTRA AND CRYSTAL STRUCTURE OF METHYLTIN TRICHLORIDE

Abstract Oriented polycrystalline films of methyltin trichloride were grown from the melt between both alkali halide and polyethylene windows. The polarized infrared spectra from 3500–40 cm −1 of these films were studied at about 25 K for the films grown between alkali halide windows and at liquid nitrogen temperatures for the films grown between polyethylene windows. Modifications and extensions of previously reported vibrational assignments are proposed. The factor group splitting and polarization evidenced indicate that methyltin trichloride occupies a C s site in the crystal. The crystal class is most likely orthorhombic. Polarization behavior is consistent with a factor group of either C 2v with 2 molecules per Bravais cell or D 2h with 4 molecules per Bravais cell.