Résumé : Eleven di‐n‐butyltin(;IV) derivatives of the type (;a) (;C4H9)2(;XYC6H3COO)2Sn or (;b) {[(;C4H9)2(;XYC6‐H3COO)Sn]2O}2 (;X, Y = H, 2‐OH, compound 1a; H, 2‐OCH3, compounds 2a and 2b; H, 2‐OCOCH3, 3a; 2‐OH, 3‐OCH3, 4a; 2‐OH, 3‐CH3, 5a; H, 3‐OCH3, 6a and 6b; H, 3‐N(;CH3)2, 7a; H, 2‐(;CF3), 5‐(;CF3), 8a and 3‐OCH3, 4‐OH, 9a) have been prepared and characterized by 1H, 13C and 119Sn NMR, Mössbauer and mass spectroscopy. The in vitro antitumour activity of these compounds against MCF‐7 human tumour cells was higher than that of cis‐platin, but only three compounds, 4a, 8a and 9a, scored better than cis‐platin against the WiDr cell line. Copyright © 1991 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.