Tributyltin oxide (TBTO) is an

organotin Organotin chemistry is the scientific study of the synthesis and properties of organotin compounds or stannanes, which are organometallic compounds containing tin–carbon bonds. The first organotin compound was diethyltin diiodide (), discove ...

compound chiefly used as a

biocide A biocide is defined in the European legislation as a chemical substance or microorganism intended to destroy, deter, render harmless, or exert a controlling effect on any harmful organism. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) uses a sli ...

(

fungicide Fungicides are pesticides used to kill parasitic fungi or their spores. Fungi can cause serious damage in agriculture, resulting in losses of yield and quality. Fungicides are used both in agriculture and to fight fungal infections in animals, ...

and

molluscicide Molluscicides () are chemicals that kill molluscs. They are also known as snail baits, snail pellets, or slug pellets. These pesticides against molluscs are usually used in agriculture or gardening, in order to control Pest (organism)#Gastropods, ...

), especially a

wood preservative Wood preservation refers to any method or process, or even technique, used to protect the wood and extend its service life. Most wood species are susceptible to both biological (''biotic'') and non-biological (''abiotic'') factors that cause d ...

. Its chemical formula is C₄H₉)₃Snsub>2O. It is a colorless viscous liquid. It is poorly soluble in water (20 ppm) but highly soluble in

organic solvent A solvent (from the Latin '' solvō'', "loosen, untie, solve") is a substance that dissolves a solute, resulting in a solution. A solvent is usually a liquid but can also be a solid, a gas, or a supercritical fluid. Water is a solvent for p ...

s. It is a potent skin irritant. Historically, tributyltin oxide's biggest application was as a marine anti-

biofouling Biofouling or biological fouling is the accumulation of microorganisms, plants, algae, or small animals where it is not wanted on surfaces such as ship and submarine hulls, devices such as water inlets, pipework, grates, ponds, and rivers that ...

agent. Concerns over toxicity of these compounds have led to a worldwide ban by the

International Maritime Organization The International Maritime Organization (IMO; ; ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for regulating maritime transport. The IMO was established following agreement at a ...

. It is now considered a severe marine

pollutant A pollutant or novel entity is a substance or energy introduced into the environment that has undesired effect, or adversely affects the usefulness of a resource. These can be both naturally forming (i.e. minerals or extracted compounds like oi ...

and a Substance of Very High Concern by the EU.Organotin Chemistry, Second Edition. Alwyn G. Davies, 2004, Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA. Today, it is mainly used in wood preservation.Davies, Alwyn George. (2004) Organotin Chemistry, 2nd Edition Weinheim: Wiley-VCH.

References

External links

National Pollutant Inventory Fact Sheet for organotins
* {{PPDB, 2585 PBT substances Fungicides Molluscicides Organotin compounds Oxides Tin(IV) compounds Butyl compounds