SnF4
tin(IV) fluoride · stannic fluoride
Tin(IV) fluoride is a stable, insulating inorganic compound containing tin and fluorine that is primarily utilized in chemical synthesis.
About tin(IV) fluoride
Tin(IV) fluoride is a robust inorganic compound characterized by its insulating electronic nature. As a thermodynamically stable phase, it maintains structural integrity under standard conditions, making it a reliable subject for fundamental materials research.
With extensive structural data available across multiple databases, this compound serves as a key reference point for tin-based fluorides. Its chemical behavior is defined by the high electronegativity of fluorine coupled with the tetravalent state of tin, facilitating its use in specialized chemical processes.
Key Properties
Cross-validated computational properties for tin(IV) fluoride, 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 SnF4. 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 SnF4, 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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | — | 3.40 | 0.0000 | -2.659 | — |
| I4/mmm (No. 139) | tetragonal | 3.16 | 0.0000 | -2.445 | — |
| I4/mmm (No. 139) | tetragonal | 3.11 | 0.0000 | -5.041 | 5.00 |
| — | — | 3.60 | 0.0193 | -2.640 | — |
| — | — | 2.23 | 0.0369 | -2.623 | — |
| — | — | 3.50 | 0.0576 | -2.602 | — |
| C2/c (No. 15) | monoclinic | 3.37 | 0.0580 | -2.387 | — |
| C2/c (No. 15) | monoclinic | 3.37 | 0.0581 | -2.387 | — |
| C2/c (No. 15) | monoclinic | 3.37 | 0.0581 | -2.387 | — |
| — | — | 3.48 | 0.0696 | -2.590 | — |
| — | — | 1.81 | 0.0777 | -2.582 | — |
| — | — | 3.17 | 0.0790 | -2.580 | — |
Applications
Where tin(IV) fluoride is used.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about tin(IV) fluoride, answered from cross-validated data.
What is SnF4?
Tin(IV) fluoride is a stable, insulating inorganic compound containing tin and fluorine that is primarily utilized in chemical synthesis.
What is SnF4 used for?
What is the band gap of SnF4?
Is SnF4 a metal, semiconductor, or insulator?
Is SnF4 thermodynamically stable?
What is the crystal structure of SnF4?
How many polymorphs of SnF4 are known?
What elements does SnF4 contain?
Where does the data for SnF4 come from?
How It Compares
As a standalone representative of its specific tin-fluoride chemistry, this compound serves as a critical benchmark for understanding the stability and insulating characteristics of tetravalent metal halides.
Data sources & attribution
- 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)
- jarvis — Data from JARVIS (jarvis.nist.gov), NIST. Cite: Choudhary et al., npj Comp. Mater. 6, 173 (2020). (LicenseRef-US-Gov-PD)
- 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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