Three new triphenyltin(IV) sulfanylcarboxylates with the general formula [Q][SnPh 3 (L)] (Q = diisopropylammonium cation; L = tspa, pspa or pyspa, where t = 3-(2-thienyl)-, p = 3-(2-phenyl)-, py = 3-(2-pyridinyl)-and spa = 2-sulfanylpropenoato) have been prepared by reaction of triphenyltin(IV) hydroxide with the corresponding acid in the presence of di-isopropylamine in ethanol. The compounds have been characterized by elemental analysis and mass spectrometry and by IR, Mössbauer and NMR ( 1 H, 13 C, 119 Sn) spectroscopy. X-ray studies of the crystal structures of [Q][SnPh 3 (pspa)] and [Q][SnPh 3 (pyspa)] show that in both compoundsthe tin atom is coordinated to three phenyl C atoms and to S and one O atom of the ligand L. All three complexes are active against strains of the Gram-positive bacterium Staphylococcus aureus, but are inactive or only slightly active against the Gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.