SnCl2
tin(II) chloride · stannous chloride
Tin(II) chloride is a stable, insulating inorganic compound widely utilized as a chemical reagent in industrial and laboratory settings.
About tin(II) chloride
Tin(II) chloride is a well-characterized inorganic compound that exists as a thermodynamically stable phase. Its electronic structure is defined by a wide band gap, classifying it as an insulator under standard conditions. The material exhibits significant structural diversity, with numerous reported configurations across major databases.
This compound serves as a vital reagent in chemical synthesis and industrial processing. Its stability and predictable reactivity make it a cornerstone in various redox-based applications, ranging from organic synthesis to metal plating and surface treatment processes.
Key Properties
Cross-validated computational properties for tin(II) chloride, 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.
Cross-Source DFT Agreement
How well independent DFT databases agree on the thermodynamics of SnCl2. Tight agreement means computed properties can be trusted without re-running calculations.
Agreement ScoreA normalized confidence score summarizing how closely independent DFT databases agree. Higher scores mean tighter cross-source agreement.
Hull SpreadDifference between the highest and lowest energy-above-hull values reported by comparable sources. Smaller spread means less thermodynamic disagreement.
Sources ComparedNumber and names of computational sources with comparable entries for this formula.
Space Group ConsensusWhether independent sources predict the same crystal symmetry for the lowest-energy structure.
Reported Structures
Lowest-energy structures reported for SnCl2, 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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pnma (No. 62) | orthorhombic | 3.22 | 0.0000 | -1.082 | — |
| — | — | 3.15 | 0.0000 | -1.266 | — |
| P21/c (No. 14) | monoclinic | 3.05 | 0.0000 | -3.972 | 3.78 |
| Pnma (No. 62) | orthorhombic | 3.20 | 0.0001 | -1.082 | — |
| Pnma (No. 62) | orthorhombic | 3.07 | 0.0005 | -3.971 | 3.78 |
| — | — | 3.12 | 0.0016 | -1.264 | — |
| — | — | 2.15 | 0.0021 | -1.264 | — |
| — | — | 2.37 | 0.0039 | -1.262 | — |
| — | — | 3.10 | 0.0096 | -1.256 | — |
| — | — | 0.00 | 0.0104 | -1.256 | — |
| — | — | 2.70 | 0.0114 | -1.255 | — |
| — | — | 3.21 | 0.0138 | -1.252 | — |
Applications
Where tin(II) chloride is used.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about tin(II) chloride, answered from cross-validated data.
What is SnCl2?
Tin(II) chloride is a stable, insulating inorganic compound widely utilized as a chemical reagent in industrial and laboratory settings.
What is SnCl2 used for?
What is the band gap of SnCl2?
Is SnCl2 a metal, semiconductor, or insulator?
Is SnCl2 thermodynamically stable?
What is the crystal structure of SnCl2?
How many polymorphs of SnCl2 are known?
What elements does SnCl2 contain?
Where does the data for SnCl2 come from?
How It Compares
As a standalone entry in this context, tin(II) chloride represents a foundational example of a stable, wide-gap halide. It serves as a benchmark for understanding the structural and electronic behavior of divalent tin halides in solid-state chemistry.
Data sources & attribution
- jarvis — Data from JARVIS (jarvis.nist.gov), NIST. Cite: Choudhary et al., npj Comp. Mater. 6, 173 (2020). (LicenseRef-US-Gov-PD)
- oqmd — Data from the OQMD (oqmd.org). Cite: Saal et al., JOM 65, 1501 (2013); Kirklin et al., npj Comp. Mater. 1, 15010 (2015). (CC-BY-4.0)
- materials_project — Data from the Materials Project (materialsproject.org). Cite: Jain et al., APL Materials 1, 011002 (2013). (CC-BY-4.0)
- mpaloe — Data from MP-ALOE. Cite: Kuner et al., npj Comput. Mater. (2025), doi:10.1038/s41524-025-01834-9.
- cod — Data from the Crystallography Open Database (crystallography.net/cod/). Cite: Grazulis et al., J. Appl. Cryst. 42, 726 (2009). (CC0-1.0)
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