SnS2

tin disulfide · berndtite

Tin disulfide is a stable, layered semiconducting material used extensively in research for electronics and energy storage.

SSn
Crystal structure of SnS2 (trigonal, P-3m1 (No. 164))
Ground-state structure · Materials Project
Overview

About tin disulfide

Tin disulfide is a thermodynamically stable compound that crystallizes in a layered structure. Its semiconducting nature makes it a subject of significant interest for researchers exploring thin-film electronics and advanced photovoltaic devices.

Due to its structural characteristics, this material is widely investigated for its potential in high-performance energy storage systems and sensing technologies. Its stability on the convex hull ensures it remains a robust candidate for practical electronic applications.

At a glance

Key Properties

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

Band Gap

0.54–2.19 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

95
3 databases, 16 space groups
Validation

Cross-Source DFT Agreement

How well independent DFT databases agree on the thermodynamics of SnS2. 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 SnS2, ranked by energy above hull.

Space GroupCrystal SystemBand Gap (eV)E above hull (eV/atom)E/atom (eV)Density (g/cm³)
——1.670.0000-0.601—
P-3m1 (No. 164)trigonal1.560.0000-14.0794.17
P-3m1 (No. 164)trigonal1.220.0000-0.440—
——1.790.0002-0.600—
——1.480.0003-0.600—
P63mc (No. 186)hexagonal1.490.0003-14.0784.21
P63mc (No. 186)hexagonal1.100.0009-0.439—
——1.580.0010-0.600—
——1.470.0014-0.599—
——1.660.0020-0.599—
——1.360.0026-0.598—
Fd-3m (No. 227)cubic1.200.0032-14.0764.28
Synthesis

Synthesis Routes

Literature-extracted synthesis procedures targeting SnS2.

Solid State
Procedure available · ceder_solid_state
Solid State
Procedure available · ceder_solid_state
Uses

Applications

Where tin disulfide is used.

photovoltaicsthin-film transistorsgas sensorslithium-ion battery anodesphotocatalysis
Reference

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about tin disulfide, answered from cross-validated data.

What is SnS2?

Tin disulfide is a stable, layered semiconducting material used extensively in research for electronics and energy storage.

More questions
What is SnS2 used for?
tin disulfide (SnS2) is used in photovoltaics, thin-film transistors, gas sensors, lithium-ion battery anodes, and photocatalysis.
What is the band gap of SnS2?
tin disulfide (SnS2) has a DFT-computed band gap of 0.54–2.19 eV across 95 reported structures. Standard DFT underestimates band gaps, so the measured gap is typically larger.
Is SnS2 a metal, semiconductor, or insulator?
DFT predicts a band gap of up to 2.19 eV (a semiconductor). Measured gaps are typically larger.
Is SnS2 thermodynamically stable?
Yes — tin disulfide (SnS2) sits on the convex hull (energy above hull 0 eV/atom), i.e. stable.
What is the crystal structure of SnS2?
The reference structure of tin disulfide (SnS2) is trigonal symmetry, space group P-3m1 (No. 164).
What is the density of SnS2?
The computed density of the ground-state structure of tin disulfide (SnS2) is 4.17 g/cm³.
How many polymorphs of SnS2 are known?
95 structures of SnS2 are reported across 3 databases, spanning 16 distinct space groups.
How is SnS2 synthesized?
Literature-reported routes for SnS2 include solid state (2 procedures documented).
What elements does SnS2 contain?
tin disulfide (SnS2) contains S and Sn (2 elements).
Where does the data for SnS2 come from?
SnS2 data is cross-referenced from oqmd, materials_project, jarvis.
Comparison

How It Compares

As a prominent layered semiconductor, tin disulfide serves as a foundational reference point for studying metal dichalcogenides. It is recognized for its structural reliability and consistent electronic properties, which distinguish it as a highly studied material within the broader landscape of inorganic 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)
  • materials_project — Data from the Materials Project (materialsproject.org). Cite: Jain et al., APL Materials 1, 011002 (2013). (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)

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