SnH4
stannane · tin tetrahydride
Stannane is a volatile and thermodynamically unstable tin hydride that acts as a wide-gap insulator.
About stannane
Stannane is a volatile inorganic hydride consisting of a central tin atom bonded to four hydrogen atoms. As a wide-gap insulating material, it represents a significant subject of study in high-pressure physics and structural chemistry, where researchers investigate its potential for exotic phases under extreme conditions. Because it is thermodynamically unstable and sits above the convex hull, stannane is typically handled with extreme caution in laboratory settings. Its existence as a transient species makes it a fascinating, albeit challenging, subject for structural prediction and synthesis within the broader family of group 14 hydrides.
Key Properties
Cross-validated computational properties for stannane, 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.
Applications
Where stannane is used.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about stannane, answered from cross-validated data.
What is SnH4?
Stannane is a volatile and thermodynamically unstable tin hydride that acts as a wide-gap insulator.
What is SnH4 used for?
What is the band gap of SnH4?
Is SnH4 a metal, semiconductor, or insulator?
Is SnH4 thermodynamically stable?
How many polymorphs of SnH4 are known?
What elements does SnH4 contain?
Where does the data for SnH4 come from?
How It Compares
As a member of the group 14 hydrides, stannane serves as a critical benchmark for understanding the trend of decreasing stability as one moves down the periodic table. Unlike its lighter counterparts, it exhibits a distinct sensitivity to environmental conditions, making it a unique case study in the chemical bonding and structural landscape of heavy metal hydrides.
Data sources & attribution
- latticegraph — Lattice Graph Materials Intelligence Platform
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