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.

Crystal structure of SnO2
Ground-state structure · Materials Project
Overview

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.

At a glance

Key Properties

Cross-validated computational properties for tin dioxide, aggregated across 3 databases.

Band Gap

0.32–2.09 eV
Range across DFT structures

Energy Above Hull

0.000 eV/atom
Best (lowest) across sources

Stability

On hull (stable)
2 DFT sources

Structures

441
3 databases, 43 space groups
Synthesis

Synthesis Routes

Literature-extracted synthesis procedures targeting SnO2.

Sol Gel
Procedure available · ceder_sol_gel
Sol Gel
Procedure available · ceder_sol_gel
Sol Gel
Procedure available · ceder_sol_gel
Solid State
Procedure available · ceder_solid_state
Solid State
Procedure available · ceder_solid_state
Solid State
Procedure available · ceder_solid_state
Uses

Applications

Where tin dioxide is used.

Lithium-ion battery anodesGas sensorsTransparent conducting electrodesCatalysisCeramic glazes
Intellectual Property

Patent Landscape

9 patents reference SnO2 or close compositional variants.

PatentTitleAssigneeGranted
4817695Electrical contact material of Ag, SnO.sub.2, GeO.sub.2 and In.sub.2 O.sub. 3
11915923Method to clean SnO2 film from chamber
10840082Method to clean SnO2 film from chamber
11688850Preparation method of SnO2@Sn coated reduced graphene oxide composite material
4904317Erosion resistant Ag-SnO.sub.2 electrical contact material
9214519In2O3—SnO2—ZnO sputtering target
5147728Ag-SnO.sub.2 electrical contact materials
6235260Method for producing In2O3--SnO2 precursor sol
4548910Dielectric ceramic of BaO-TiO.sub.2 and SnO.sub.2
Reference

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.

More questions
What is SnO2 used for?
tin dioxide (SnO2) is used in lithium-ion battery anodes, gas sensors, transparent conducting electrodes, catalysis, and ceramic glazes.
What is the band gap of SnO2?
tin dioxide (SnO2) has a DFT-computed band gap of 0.32–2.09 eV across 441 reported structures.
Is SnO2 a metal, semiconductor, or insulator?
With a band gap up to 2.09 eV it is a semiconductor.
Is SnO2 thermodynamically stable?
Yes — tin dioxide (SnO2) sits on the convex hull (energy above hull 0 eV/atom), i.e. on hull (stable).
How many polymorphs of SnO2 are known?
441 structures of SnO2 are reported across 3 databases, spanning 43 distinct space groups.
How is SnO2 synthesized?
Literature-reported routes for SnO2 include sol gel, solid state (9 procedures documented).
What elements does SnO2 contain?
tin dioxide (SnO2) contains O and Sn (2 elements).
Where does the data for SnO2 come from?
SnO2 data is cross-referenced from latticegraph.
Comparison

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.

Explore

Related Compounds

Other Conversion Oxide Anodes in the database.

Data sources & attribution
  • latticegraph — Lattice Graph Materials Intelligence Platform

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