SnTe3

SnTe3 is a metallic tin-telluride compound known for its structural diversity and metastable nature.

SnTe
Crystal structure of SnTe3
Ground-state structure · Materials Project
Overview

About SnTe3

SnTe3 is a metallic tin-telluride compound characterized by its distinct electronic properties. As a material that lacks a band gap, it exhibits conductive behavior typical of metallic systems, making it an interesting subject for fundamental condensed matter research.

Despite its existence in multiple structural configurations across various databases, the compound is considered thermodynamically unstable. Its position above the energy hull suggests that while it can be synthesized in specific conditions, it remains a metastable phase of interest for studying tin-tellurium bonding dynamics.

At a glance

Key Properties

Cross-validated computational properties for SnTe3, aggregated across 5 databases.

Band Gap

Metallic / not reported

Energy Above Hull

0.114 eV/atom
Best (lowest) across sources

Stability

Above hull
4 DFT sources

Structures

10
5 databases, 3 space groups
Synthesis

Synthesis Routes

Literature-extracted synthesis procedures targeting SnTe3.

Solid State
Procedure available · ceder_solid_state
Uses

Applications

Where SnTe3 is used.

Fundamental condensed matter researchMetastable phase studiesChalcogenide material science
Reference

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about SnTe3, answered from cross-validated data.

What is SnTe3?

SnTe3 is a metallic tin-telluride compound known for its structural diversity and metastable nature.

More questions
What is SnTe3 used for?
SnTe3 is used in fundamental condensed matter research, metastable phase studies, and chalcogenide material science.
What is the band gap of SnTe3?
SnTe3 is computed to be metallic (no band gap) in the reported DFT structures.
Is SnTe3 a metal, semiconductor, or insulator?
Computed band structures report no gap, so it is metallic.
Is SnTe3 thermodynamically stable?
SnTe3 has a lowest energy above hull of 0.114 eV/atom (above hull).
How many polymorphs of SnTe3 are known?
10 structures of SnTe3 are reported across 5 databases, spanning 3 distinct space groups.
How is SnTe3 synthesized?
Literature-reported routes for SnTe3 include solid state.
What elements does SnTe3 contain?
SnTe3 contains Sn and Te (2 elements).
Where does the data for SnTe3 come from?
SnTe3 data is cross-referenced from latticegraph.
Comparison

How It Compares

As a unique tin-telluride phase, SnTe3 occupies a specialized niche within the chalcogenide landscape. Unlike more common, highly stable binary tellurides, this compound represents a more complex stoichiometry that challenges standard structural predictions, serving as a key case study for metastable phase formation in metallic systems.

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

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