Can. J. Chem. 70, 197 ( 1 992).Crystals of 2,2-dibutylil,3,2-dioxastannane (I) are orthorhombic, of space group Pnma, with a = 7.663(3), b = 18.437(2), c = 9.277(4) A, Z = 4, R = 0.0568 (R,,. = 0.0551) for 1183 independent reflections with I > 3u(I). Compound 1 is a polymer in which each monomer unit i : joined to the next by a four-membered (SnOI? ring. The Sn-0 bond lengths inside the monomer units average 2.04 A while those between monomers average 2.57 A. The mirror plane of the crystal contains the atoms in the four-membered rings and the other oxygen atoms. Two of the three remaining carbon atoms in the six-membered rings of the monomer units are close to the mirror plane. The other carbon atom is disordered above and below the plane. It was shown by "'Sn NMR spectroscopy that solutions of 1 contain mixtures of oligomers that consist mainly of dimers, trimers, and tetramers in chloroform-d. AGO values for dimer-trimer equilibria and dimer-tetramer equilibria of -2.5 and -1.5 kcal mol-' were obtained from integration of low temperature " 9~n NMR spectra. These values favour the higher oligomers slightly less than those for 2,2-dibutyl-1,3,2-dioxastannolane.Key words: 1,3,2-dioxastannanes, stannylene acetals, X-ray crystallography, 'I9sn NMR spectroscopy. Le compose 1 est un polymkre dans lequel chaque unit6 de monomere est like a la suivante par un cycle aoquatre chainons (SnO),. La longueur moyenne des liaisons Sn-0 a l'intkrieur des unites de monomkre est tgale a 2,04 A alors que celle observke entre les monomkres est de 2,57 A. Le plan miroir du cristal contient les atomes des cycles a quatre chainons ainsi que les autres atomes d'oxygtne. Deux des trois autres atomes de carbone des cycles a six chainons des unites de monom6re se trouvent pres du plan miroir. L'autre atome de carbone est dCsordonnC au-dessus et au-dessous du plan.