SnO2
tin dioxide · stannic oxide, tin(IV) oxide
Tin dioxide is a stable semiconducting oxide widely employed as a high-capacity anode material in batteries and as a functional component in gas sensors.
About tin dioxide
Tin dioxide is a robust, thermodynamically stable semiconducting oxide that plays a critical role in electrochemical energy storage. Its ability to undergo conversion reactions makes it a subject of intense research for next-generation battery anodes seeking to surpass the capacity limitations of traditional materials.
Beyond energy storage, this compound is widely utilized in gas sensing and optoelectronic devices due to its favorable electronic properties. As one of the most extensively documented materials in its class, it serves as a foundational component for developing durable and sensitive thin-film technologies.
Key Properties
Cross-validated computational properties for tin dioxide, aggregated across 3 databases.
Band GapEnergy needed to move an electron from the valence band to the conduction band. Lower or zero values tend to behave more metallic; larger gaps are more insulating or semiconducting.
Energy Above HullThermodynamic distance from the most stable set of competing phases. 0 eV/atom is on the convex hull; small positive values may still be experimentally accessible.
StabilityA plain-language summary of the best reported energy-above-hull result. It reflects whether the lowest-energy structure is on, near, or far from the stability hull.
StructuresCount of reported calculated crystal structures for this formula, including alternate polymorphs, source databases, and observed space groups.
Reported Structures
Lowest-energy structures reported for SnO2, ranked by energy above hull.
| Space GroupSymmetry classification of the crystal arrangement. The number is the international space-group index. | Crystal SystemBroad lattice family, such as cubic, tetragonal, monoclinic, or triclinic, derived from unit-cell symmetry. | Band Gap (eV)Electronic gap calculated for this specific reported structure, measured in electronvolts. | E above hull (eV/atom)Thermodynamic distance from the convex hull for this structure, normalized per atom. Lower is generally more stable. | E/atom (eV)Computed total energy normalized per atom. Use energy above hull, not this value alone, when comparing stability. | Density (g/cm³)Mass per relaxed crystal volume, reported in grams per cubic centimeter. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P42/mnm (No. 136) | tetragonal | 0.65 | 0.0000 | -6.743 | 6.87 |
| Imma (No. 74) | orthorhombic | 0.63 | 0.0004 | -6.742 | 6.61 |
| Pnnm (No. 58) | orthorhombic | 0.81 | 0.0023 | -6.740 | 6.63 |
| Pbcn (No. 60) | orthorhombic | 0.85 | 0.0114 | -6.731 | 6.92 |
| Pbcn (No. 60) | orthorhombic | 0.96 | 0.0170 | -6.726 | 7.01 |
| I4/m (No. 87) | tetragonal | 1.80 | 0.0686 | -6.674 | 5.36 |
| Pnma (No. 62) | orthorhombic | 1.23 | 0.0855 | -6.657 | 5.86 |
| I41/amd (No. 141) | tetragonal | 1.31 | 0.0874 | -6.655 | 6.10 |
| Pa-3 (No. 205) | cubic | 0.59 | 0.1006 | -6.642 | 7.22 |
| Pbca (No. 61) | orthorhombic | 1.17 | 0.1341 | -6.609 | 7.28 |
| R-3m (No. 166) | trigonal | 1.93 | 0.1533 | -6.589 | 5.75 |
| R3m (No. 160) | trigonal | 1.60 | 0.1574 | -6.585 | 6.14 |
Applications
Where tin dioxide is used.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about tin dioxide, answered from cross-validated data.
What is SnO2?
Tin dioxide is a stable semiconducting oxide widely employed as a high-capacity anode material in batteries and as a functional component in gas sensors.
What is SnO2 used for?
What is the band gap of SnO2?
Is SnO2 a metal, semiconductor, or insulator?
Is SnO2 thermodynamically stable?
What is the crystal structure of SnO2?
What is the density of SnO2?
How many polymorphs of SnO2 are known?
What elements does SnO2 contain?
Where does the data for SnO2 come from?
How It Compares
Within the conversion oxide anodes class.
Within the family of conversion oxide anodes, SnO2 distinguishes itself from transition metal-based counterparts like CuO and Fe2O3 through its unique alloying-conversion mechanism, which allows for significant lithium storage capacity while maintaining structural integrity over many cycles.
Related Compounds
Other Conversion Oxide Anodes in the database.
Data sources & attribution
- materials_project — Data from the Materials Project. Cite: Jain et al., APL Materials 1, 011002 (2013).
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