SnI2

tin(II) iodide · stannous iodide

Tin(II) iodide is a stable, semiconducting inorganic compound frequently studied for its potential in optoelectronic applications.

ISn
Crystal structure of SnI2 (monoclinic, C2/m (No. 12))
Ground-state structure · Materials Project
Overview

About tin(II) iodide

Tin(II) iodide is a metal halide that functions as a semiconductor. It is recognized for its thermodynamic stability, consistently appearing on the convex hull, which makes it a reliable subject for structural and electronic investigation.

With a significant number of reported structures across various databases, this compound serves as a key reference point in the study of tin-based halides. Its electronic character allows it to be utilized in the development of specialized optoelectronic devices and thin-film technologies.

At a glance

Key Properties

Cross-validated computational properties for tin(II) iodide, aggregated across 3 databases.

Band Gap

0.21–2.04 eV
Range across DFT structures · ground state: wide gap

Energy Above Hull

0.000 eV/atom
Best (lowest) across sources

Stability

Stable
3 DFT sources

Structures

58
3 databases, 15 space groups
Validation

Cross-Source DFT Agreement

How well independent DFT databases agree on the thermodynamics of SnI2. Tight agreement means computed properties can be trusted without re-running calculations.

Agreement Score

1.00 / 1.00
Trust tier: high

Hull Spread

0.000 eV
EAH spread across sources

Sources Compared

3
jarvis, materials_project, oqmd

Space Group Consensus

All match
Crystallography

Reported Structures

Lowest-energy structures reported for SnI2, ranked by energy above hull.

Space GroupCrystal SystemBand Gap (eV)E above hull (eV/atom)E/atom (eV)Density (g/cm³)
——2.000.0000-0.672—
C2/m (No. 12)monoclinic1.780.0000-0.529—
C2/m (No. 12)monoclinic1.710.0000-3.0975.12
——2.010.0009-0.672—
——2.000.0023-0.670—
——2.040.0025-0.670—
——1.990.0026-0.670—
P42/mnm (No. 136)tetragonal1.200.0248-3.0724.66
——1.770.0364-0.636—
——1.330.0417-0.631—
——1.230.0420-0.630—
P42/mnm (No. 136)tetragonal1.280.0466-0.483—
Uses

Applications

Where tin(II) iodide is used.

optoelectronic devicessemiconductor researchthin-film technology
Reference

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about tin(II) iodide, answered from cross-validated data.

What is SnI2?

Tin(II) iodide is a stable, semiconducting inorganic compound frequently studied for its potential in optoelectronic applications.

More questions
What is SnI2 used for?
tin(II) iodide (SnI2) is used in optoelectronic devices, semiconductor research, and thin-film technology.
What is the band gap of SnI2?
tin(II) iodide (SnI2) has a DFT-computed band gap of 0.21–2.04 eV across 58 reported structures. Standard DFT underestimates band gaps, so the measured gap is typically larger.
Is SnI2 a metal, semiconductor, or insulator?
DFT predicts a band gap of up to 2.04 eV (a semiconductor). Measured gaps are typically larger.
Is SnI2 thermodynamically stable?
Yes — tin(II) iodide (SnI2) sits on the convex hull (energy above hull 0 eV/atom), i.e. stable.
What is the crystal structure of SnI2?
The reference structure of tin(II) iodide (SnI2) is monoclinic symmetry, space group C2/m (No. 12).
How many polymorphs of SnI2 are known?
58 structures of SnI2 are reported across 3 databases, spanning 15 distinct space groups.
What elements does SnI2 contain?
tin(II) iodide (SnI2) contains I and Sn (2 elements).
Where does the data for SnI2 come from?
SnI2 data is cross-referenced from oqmd, jarvis, materials_project, mpaloe.
Comparison

How It Compares

As a stable and well-documented member of the tin-halide family, this compound serves as a foundational reference for researchers exploring the broader class of metal-iodide semiconductors.

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.

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